The Marauding Five Year One
by bunny chan
Summary: my first attempt on a MWPP fic. a soon to be lj not very soon... but i find it pretty good. please rr!
1. The Letter

AN: hiya! This is my first attempt on a Harry Potter fanfiction. As I simply adore L/J and MWPP fics, I thought I'd write one. Please read and review this chapter! I'll get the second chapter typed out as soon as possible (I had the plot written, but not the story). I hope to receive reviews for this story, even if it might be pretty short… ^_^;;;; I'll have the next chapter longer.

_bunny chan_

_ _

The Marauding Five : Year One

Chapter 1: The Letter

Lily Evans woke up to a loud call of her name from her window. Drowsily, she got up and opened her window before calling out, 'Potter, can't I have a good snooze in? Go bug Sirius or Remus! They'll be up by now I expect.' A messy haired boy with spectacles stood grinning broadly at her from his window, holding up a big envelope in his hands. 'Hey, Lily! Mum says you're coming too! Dumbledore sent her an owl! You coming with us to Diagon Alley?' he called out to her. Puzzled, Lily rubbed her eyes as she stared at his grinning face, called back, 'Dumbledore? Owl? Just what are you talking about, James?'

'Hadn't you got that letter?'

'What letter? Go bug Sirius or Remus, not me. I give you full permission for that!'

'We're here, Lily. Now, hadn't you received your letter yet?'

A tall boy stood behind James Potter. Next to him, a slightly shorter one tried to look at her from the window but failed as James Potter and Sirius Black had taken up most space. Remus Lupin called back, 'Lily, don't tell me you hadn't got it yet?'

'I'd always thought you guys will go bonkers one day, but not at the age of eleven,' Lily replied casually. 'By the way, I haven't checked the mail yet, so I don't know if I have a mail or not.'

'Hang on, we're coming over.'

As soon as this was said, the three boys had climbed down using a strategically placed ladder and fix it to her window before climbing up on it again. Lily stared at them as James and Remus helped Sirius in. 'Okay, so what's this letter thing? You've been saying nothing else but the letter,' Lily questioned them, hands on hips.

'Maybe the owl's late,' James replied as he looked out her window, towards the sky. 'Owl?' Lily repeated, clearly puzzled. 'Hey, it isn't late!' James cried in annoyance as he pulled out a small, brown and fluffy owl from the rafters. Lily glanced at it, even more puzzled at the fact of why an owl is in her rafters. 'This owl had decided to sleep in, lazy thing! Look, it's still snoozing, just like Lily this morning!' James pointed out as he let go of the owl. Lily threw him her pillow, aiming straight at his face. The owl fell on Lily's bed, still sleeping. 'Lazy thing,' Sirius muttered as he poked at it. Remus was staring at it with an amused expression in his pale face.

Seeing an owl is nothing special in where Lily lived. She lived in a village near a forest, so seeing an owl isn't a very unusual thing. But one SLEEPING in her rafters? It's unbelievable. Lily continued to stare at the tawny brown owl, taking it in from its small head to its long claws on its legs. James, however, paid no attention to the owl as he ripped off the envelope tied to the owl and opened it in a hurry.

'If it's my letter, who gave you full rights to open it, Potter?' Lily asked coldly, snatching the envelope from James' hand as he tried to undo the seal, showing four animals hovering over the letter H. Over it, written clearly in bright green ink, was her name - Ms. Lily Evans - and her address. 'Well, Lily, I thought you wouldn't open it so I'd volunteered myself to do so for you. Rights were given by me, James Potter,' James replied, grinning again.

'Hello, Lily! You're one of us now,' Sirius said, grinning stupidly as his long, black hair fell over his face. 'When am I not? We've known each other for as long as we can remember,' Lily retorted as she flip open the contents on her bed, covering the small owl that had been pulled in a while ago. 'No, we mean one of us. We're wizards, see, and you're a witch!' Remus pointed out excitedly. 'Rubbish, Remus! I mean, isn't that so untrue? If I'm a witch, I'll be wearing black robes, a black pointy hat and holding a wand in my hands,' Lily said as she looked again at the envelope. 'And that is what we'll be wearing soon,' Sirius said as he drew the letter, obviously bigger than the others, before pushing it right under her nose.

'Sirius, I resent - hey! I _am a witch!' Lily said excitedly as she read the letter before moving towards the others. One that shows of her needed stuff at school and another, which is a train ticket to the Hogwarts Express, dated on September first._

'Gram, come look at this!' Lily called out to her grandmother. You see Lily lived with her grandmother as her parents were out vacation with Petunia. The trip was for three and Lily had been left home with her grandmother. An old woman with twinkling bright green eyes and an apron over her dress burst in. She'd been in the kitchen when Lily had called. 'Gram, look! I'm a witch, gram! I'm a witch!' Lily said excitedly as James, Sirius and Remus looked on in amusement. Her grandmother broke into a smile before saying, 'I'm so glad for you, Lily. See, I was one too. Your mother was one, too, a pretty good one I must say. I see the magic-blood had been passed down to you. It's really nice, dear.'

'You _knew about this, gram?' Lily asked, bewildered, as everything her Gram had just said sunk in. 'Of course, dear! You are no muggle; you're a witch, just like old gram here and your mother was,' her Gram smiled warmly at her. 'Now, would you like to come for breakfast? I'm sure you are all hungry in all the excitement,' the old woman said as she ushered the boys and Lily down before they could even reply._

A strong smell of pancakes and eggs wafted through their noses as she led them down the stairs and sat them at the Evans' dining table. 'Mmm… simply lovely!' Sirius said as he stick his nose up in the air to smell the pancakes. James merely rolls his eyes as Remus looked on, rubbing his tummy eagerly. 'Your parents are from the wizarding world too?' Lily jumped onto a seat beside James. 

'Yep! Ages ago. We're a very old wizarding family.'

'Remus? Sirius?'

'Pure-blood'

'Pure-blood.'

'Pure-blood?'

'He means that they're all wizards.'

'Oh.'

'Okay children, food's here! Duck in,' Gram appeared, levitating four plates in the air as the plates swept down upon them. 

'Gram, isn't it dangerous, doing so?'

'Lily dear, Gram's a witch, remember?' as Gram draw up a wand before dressing herself up in midnight blue robes and a pointy hat.

Lily stared for a moment.

'Wow, Gram! That's nice! Is that your wand? Can I see it?'

Laughing warmly, Gram handed her wand for Lily to inspect. 

'It's nice, Gram. Where did you get it? Can I have one too?'

'We're going to Diagon Alley, Gram. Mind if Lily follow us? She can get her textbooks,' James asked. 'Sure, James. I'll be coming along to guide my granddaughter,' Gram said, smiling. 'Now, how about we finish everything now? I'll send a note over to Emily to tell her that she can have a break from you boys and I'll take you over with the Floo Powder,' Gram said as she got went up to call on Mrs Potter.

'This sounds interesting! I wonder what'll we do? Anyway, we'll still be able to play tricks, right?" Lily asked, looking hopefully at the boys. 'Yep! The wizarding world has more than enough tricks for us than in the Muggle world. We'll be the mischief makers of Hogwarts!' James said as they got up to make a vow. 'Now, mischief-makers sounds a little too em, common. We'll be the Marauders of Hogwarts as we'll be marauding all of Hogwarts! Oh, and we'll be torturing just everyone with some good tricks of ours,' Sirius said as they place a vow on that, topping their palms against each other's.

'Wait. They ask me to send a reply before July 31st. What date is today?'

'1st July. Maybe if we're quick, we may be able to get good seats for the train.'

'Alright. Where's that owl?'

'Still in Lily's room.'

'I'll get it. I need to change.'

'Fine. I'll eat these fabulous pancakes.'

Lily ran towards her room to get dressed as she grabbed the brown owl from her bed (he's still sleeping) and rushed downstairs. The boys were already scribbling the replies and send the owl off after waking him up. 'I wonder if they'll miss us?' Lily pondered questioningly. 'I mean, without us, what's this village? A really boring place with boring things happening and all. How about a little goodbye present?' Lily asked, a gleaming twinkle in her emerald green eyes. 'Sounds good enough to me. We'll grab some things from Diagon Alley,' Remus nodded as they all bend their heads, planning on what to buy.

Gram bustled in happily as she called to the boys and Lily. 'Well kids-' she started, but was cut off by Sirius, 'We're no kids! We're eleven and eleven year olds aren't kids!'

'Fine, children-'

'The Marauders.'

'Okay, the Marau- what?'

'It's our group name," Remus explained.

'Oh. Okay, _Marauders, grab a pinch of the Floo Powder now. Lily, you'll have to take a pinch, throw it into the fireplace,' she gestured towards the now cackling fireplace, 'and say "Diagon Alley" clearly before jumping in.'_

Lily gulped in a huge amount of air as a lump began forming in her throat. She hadn't done this before. Will she end up in the correct place? Will she still be alive or get swallowed by the flaming fire tongues? Only one way to find out. Lily reached out to the box Gram was holding and pulled out a pinch of fine, green powder. She sprinkled it into the blazing fire, which turned green instantly, before jumping in and calling 'Diagon Alley'.

A/N: There! I finished it off just here, and this is what I'd managed to write today. Watch out for the oncoming Chapter 2! Please r/r for this chapter! Thank you ^_^


	2. Diagon Alley

AN: Hi people! I'm back again with the second chapter ^_^ this is, hopefully, long enough to satisfy you til the next chapter which'll take some time (maybe a day or two). I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter (although it _may_ be boring, as I'm a bad writer…) and review it after reading ^_^ thanks!

_bunny chan_

The Marauding Five : Year One

**Chapter 2: Diagon Alley**

Lily felt her head spinning as she fell with a loud thud on the fireplace. She blinked, staring at everything before her. 'Hey, move off Evans,' Sirius was heard calling and Lily scrambled off, just as Sirius hit the gratings with a louder thud. He got up quickly as Remus and James follow suit. 'No one warned me about falling into another fireplace,' Lily muttered as she brushes the soot off her light green dress. Gram turned up minutes after, muttering something about leaving the fire burn before talking cheerfully at them.

'Okay, now where will we start from?' she asked, seemingly glad to return to the wizarding world. Lily, James, Sirius and Remus looked around eagerly before deciding to get their wands. After all, Lily said to herself gleefully, we'll get more fun done with wands.

Gram opened her purse to check how much she had before sighing. 'You won't mind if I go to Gringotts? We need some money and I had hardly left in my purse.' 

'Well, we'll wait at Zonko's as we want to see some cool tricks,' Sirius said hopefully.

'Yea, our parents won't let us touch a finger on them, so please?'

'Please, Gram? I want to look around, too.'

All four turned her their best puppy-dog look at Gram as she laughed heartily, leaving them at Zonko's before hurrying to Gringotts.

Four kids grinned happily as they walked into the shop, James jingling his pocket with his saved money. They looked around, pleased at everything they see. Lily gazed at the tricks happily. 'Dung Bombs, Invisible Paint, Filibuster's Fireworks… wow! Just think of all the tricks we could do!' Lily gasped happily as she went through the displays. 'How about getting some? I've some money here. Been saving them for a long time,' James said happily, pulling out ten galleons, fifteen sickles and twelve Knuts. 'I've some somewhere,' Sirius said, rummaging his pockets untidily before pulling out eight galleons, five sickles and five Knuts. 'Great! We could use them on these goodies as I'm sure my mum had given loads of money to Gram to spend on me!' James said eagerly. Sirius nodded his head in agreement as they started piling up their arms with Dung Bombs, Filibuster's Fireworks, Invisible Paints ('Might be useful some day,' Remus pointed out), Rocketing Rashes ('Will shock ol' Petunia beautifully,' Lily giggled), Jumping Beanstalks, Ton-Tongue Toffee, Fang Frisbees, Ever-Bashing Boomerangs, Screaming Yo-Yo and loads more.

They managed it to the counter and paid for them before Gram walked briskly towards them. 'Now, buying things, haven't you? Well, as your mother had given me the money to spend on you-' James, Sirius and Remus smirked, '-it'll be pretty fine. Lily, here's some extra money whilst in school. You might need it. I'd figured someone will be a wizard or witch, so I'd an account in Gringotts. Here's the spare key, Lily. How about going to the wands now?' the old woman said as she smiled at them.

Carrying the load of tricks in each other's hands, they staggered towards a shop where a wand sat on a purple faded cushion, dust gathering behind the window. Gram left them there, not before handing them ten galleons each, as she left a strict warning about playing jokes on people and turned to Flourish and Blotts to get their books.

James stared on. 'What's the fun if we don't play jokes?' he turned to the others. 'Well, we don't wanna hear Gram say, "I told you so" so I guess we'd better heed her warning, just for this shop,' Lily said eagerly, her eyes twinkling merrily. 'She didn't say we aren't allowed to play on others,' Sirius added in helpfully. 'Yep! She just say don't play jokes on people. They're all wizards and witches here,' Remus grinned. 'Sure, but I don't feel like trying on the Ollivanders. I mean, if they sell wands, don't you think we'll be in trouble if we play on him?' James put in. Lily and the others nodded their heads in agreement before walking into the shop in - what Sirius had said - their grand way.

They threw the door open, clearly disturbing the peacefulness and silence in the shop. Mr Ollivander looked up from his copy of _Daily Prophet as the little bell above the door tinkled their appearance in the sullen shop._

'Ah! How may I help you?' Mr Ollivander started.

'Please, Mr Ollivander, we'd like four wands each.'

'And it has to be like Gram's. Good and nice.'

'Don't forget; it has to work!'

'Yep!'

The four chorused together. Mr Ollivander just chuckled merrily as he walked up to them. 'Well, certainly! The Ollivanders are the best wand-maker in centuries. Now, lets see which will be your wand.' The four kids stared at him as four measuring tapes hopped over and start measuring while Mr Ollivander rummaged through the boxes. The boys and girl began to wonder how will he be knowing what their measurements are, as he had his back turned to them. 'Ah! Try this. Mahogany, eleven inches. Pliable. Quite powerful and excellent for Transfiguration. The wand chooses the wizard, not the other way round. This, you must remember,' Mr Ollivander said as he tossed a wand towards James, who caught it deftly. He gave it a little wave as bright green and red sparks shot up into the air, forming a small fountain. Lily, Sirius and Remus gasped happily as James grinned. 'I'll have this, Mr Ollivander. It's the one for me,' James said as Ollivander handed him a box to keep his wand.

'Now you'd seen your friend there has his wand, why not try and find yours?' Mr Ollivander said as he bent over to pick more wands for tryouts. The other three didn't hesitate, but instead, walked towards the pile of boxes, pulling out wands of each kind and start waving them around before passing it to the other. 'Well, I never! You had saved me loads of trouble, but you're the most interesting customers I'd ever had,' Mr Ollivander said, smiling cheekily at them. Lily and Sirius just grinned as Remus waved a wand, which shot out of his hand and hit Sirius hard on his head. Grumbling, Sirius picked up the wand as he waved it in a small circle, twirling it around his fingers doing so. Brown-black sparks flew from it, forming a small string of stars. 'Ah, that is a good one! Swishy. Oak. Fourteen inches. Perfect for powerful counter spells. Take that,' Mr Ollivander said as he watch Remus and Lily, still sorting out for their wands.

'I'll try this,' Lily said, holding up a wand.

'That, is ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. A good one for charms.'

But Lily was paying him no attention. She brought it over her head and gave it a simple wave; emitting rainbow colored stars and sparks from it. She smiled happily at it before crying, 'This, is mine. Mine, mine!'

'Hey slow it, Lily! I'm still in search for mine,' Remus called from under a pile of magical wands. He was unseen, as the wands had pile themselves over him. Remus sighed. 'Can't seem to find it,' he said sadly.

'Here, we'll give you a hand,' James said as they turned most boxes around, right to the bottommost one.

'If you can't fine it on the top, it'll definitely be at the bottom,' Lily said knowledgeably.

The opened the bottom box as Remus pulled it out and gave it a small wave, expecting it to shoot out of his hands again. To his delight, it sent yellow-green sparks from its tip in a small type of fountain, like James'. 'I'd found it! At last! I'd found my wand!' Remus said happily, jumping about in the room as Lily, James and Sirius stack back all the boxes. 'I'm glad for you, Remus. Don't you think you could give us a hand here?' Lily asked as she topped the boxes and arranged them neatly. 'Huh? Oh, sure.'

Once done, they apologize for their rudeness and paid Mr Ollivander 28 Galleons (it's 7 galleons each) for their wands as the old man watch them with an amused expression on his face, his silver eyes twinkling happily at his young customers. They thank him once again and turned to leave, just before the door was opened. Gram walked in casually, casting warning glances at the four marauders. 'Good morning, Mr Ollivander. I hope they are no nuisance to you,' she said turning to the man behind the counter. Lily rolled her eyes. James pretended to pull out a few Dung Bombs as if to bomb the shop into pieces. 'Gram! How could you think so? Don't you know that we're the most innocent saints in this shop? We are no trouble, are we Mr Ollivander? If we're nuisance, how could he have put up with us? I mean, look! Mr Ollivander is still alive, uninjured and smiling!' Sirius ranted cheerfully as James put in, 'Yea Gram. Mr Ollivander even _praised us! Didn't he, Lily?' Lily put on an innocent face and started, 'Gram, don't you believe us? We never once __touched those jokes we bought! Look, you can count them if you want. We bought about 80 Dung Bombs, 50 Filibuster's Fireworks–' Remus cut her 'And how could you suspect innocents like us, the most innocent around, to cause trouble to old Mr Ollivander here? He's such a great help, so kind of him to help us getting our wands and all. We could never play a joke on him, can we guys?' Remus turned to his companions, who nodded at each word and with the most innocent face they could muster._

Gram looked like she's about to faint. 'Now, now, Turner. They didn't do anything but choose their own wands. I must say they are a bright lot, likely to be really clever. You shouldn't suspect them being a nuisance. They are, clearly, the most interesting and amusing customers I'd ever had in all these centuries!' Mr Ollivander said, patting on Gram's shoulder. 'I guess so. They can be really mischievous sometimes. Thank you, Ollivander, for your help. We must leave now to Madam Malkin's.' Gram led them away from the Ollivanders' as they headed to _Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions._

'Really, Gram, why didn't you believe us when we said we were innocent?' Sirius asked, an annoyed expression on his features. 'I don't trust you four. You may have done something to him and maybe put a charm or two on him. I'd half expected you to blow up the shop at any moment, or set those fake wands on work,' Gram said in a curt voice. 'Hello Turner! It's been some time, hasn't it?' a stout lady in mauve robes glided over to Gram and hugged her. 

'Yes, Malkin. Now, now, do you mind helping my granddaughter and her friends here,' Gram said, waving her hands towards the four who grinned broadly and bow, 'to get their robes for Hogwarts? They're starting this year. Ollivander says that they'll be pretty good, judging by the chosen wands.'

'Well Turner, I clearly remembered your daughter coming here. She was a good witch, wasn't she? Lily, I'm sure you have a sister – Petunia, wasn't it Turner? – is she a witch too? I hadn't seen her before, though Turner told me about her,' Malkin said as she started measuring their sizes. 'Oh yes. Is Petunia a witch? Dear, dear, I don't think so, Madam Malkin. See, she didn't seem to do anything when we played our infamous tricks on her,' Sirius answered cheerfully, clearly glad that Petunia wasn't a witch. 

'So she's a squib?'

'A squib?'

'It's a person without magical powers even if they were borne in a wizard's family.'

'Oh. So dad's a wizard?'

'Yep.'

'How come I never knew about all this?'

'It's to be kept a secret. No muggles are supposed to know that witches and wizards exist.'

'Oh.'

By now, Madam Malkin had already finished measuring all four and had set out to find the perfect robes for them. Gram had taken into talking with her old friend as the Marauders busied themselves talking about Hogwarts.

'Mother says that it's the best school ever!'

'Dad told me that there are secret passages! We'll really be marauding this time!'

'Which house will we go, I wonder. Dad says that they'll set this sort of test for us.'

'A test? Oh no! I don't even know any spells!'

'Nah! Remus, your dad's just kidding. Mother says that we'll just put on a very battered, old hat.'

'It'd better be so…'

'Calm it! We can learn over the holidays, can't we?'

'We're smart, remember?'

'Or so what Ollivander says. I mean, we could get ourselves in trouble.'

'Remus, what's fun without trouble?'

'Right. With our genius, Lily, here, we'll be so smart we can't be beaten.'

'Oh I'm so flattered Sirius. Sorry, no can do. I won't be the only one doing all the reading for four.'

'I'll help.'

'Thanks, James.'

'And we'll just set up a list of things to do there, kay Remus?'

'Deal.'

Madam Malkin walked over. 'Here kids, try this on,' she said, handing them a robe each. 'Not kids. Marauders,' Lily said as she draw her arm through the sleeves. 'Marauders? Are you going to maraud my shop?' Madam Malkin asked with a shock pretence plastered over her kindly face. 'Nah! We'll rather maraud Hogwarts. We hear loads of it from our parents,' James said as he tried pulling his head over. 'Except me. How come I'm borne in a wizarding family and not hear a word about it?' Lily grumbled. 'Because your sister's a squib. She'll be jealous if she knows she isn't a witch, Lily,' Gram explained. 'There, they all fit perfectly! A little taller one of Sirius, though, but the rest fit just nice!' Madam Malkin said, beaming all over her round face.

'Right. I grow extremely fast.'

'At least you're tall. I'm short,' Remus muttered. He was clearly the shortest of the four.

'Okay boys, I get your message,' Madam Malkin laughed as she went back to get a larger one for Sirius.

'So what are you talking about while we were gone?' Gram asked as she turned to them.

'Oh, we're talking about Hogwarts. How is it like there, Gram? They say there are secret passages and all. Also, how are we getting sorted? What houses? Tell us everything, Gram!' they pleaded.

Gram just laughed as Madam Malkin walked back in with more robes for them. 'Turner, here are the robes,' Madam Malkin said as she brought it over to the counter. 'Now, Malkin, what about charging the old friend? Surely you won't give me some discount?' Gram asked cheekily. 'Fine, Turner. Half price, is that fine with you?' Malkin said, laughing. 'Perfect, Malkin. Now, I must get them going. They need their cauldrons, potions ingredients, quills, parchments, inkbottles and more. Thank you,' Gram said, waving her old friend a cheery goodbye as they bustled out of the small shop.

'Gram, let's go to Eeylop's Owl Emporium! I want an owl!' James cried excitedly, pulling Gram's robes towards a large shop. Sirius, Remus and Lily broke into huge grins as they too, pull the staggering Gram towards _Eeylop's Owl Emporium. 'Now, let me go, now!' Gram said sharply. They obediently let go of the robes, but Lily caught her hand and start dragging her Gram towards the direction that they had headed to. 'Lily! Lily! LILY!' Gram called furiously at her granddaughter. Lily paid no attention and let go of her calling grandmother as soon as they were in from of the emporium._

'Lily, I'd never seen such behavior!' Gram started.

The four paid her no attention as she continued ranting on about manners for elders. They were staring at the owls happily, who hooted in excitement. Realizing that her audiences aren't listening, Gram gave in to them. 'You kids are the worst I'd ever met in my years!' Gram grumbled as they pulled her in. 'Thank you, Gram. We'd tried our best,' the four chorused together before bowing, much to the amusement of the shopkeeper, owls and customers. 'If that is your best, I'd certainly hate to see the worst. It must be terrible!' Gram said shuddering. 'Go on and choose your owls. My treat. You need owls to carry your post home, so I don't see why you shouldn't have one each,' Gram said, smiling them her kind smile as they went scattering, looking for an owl. After hootings and cries, the four emerged with four owls placed on their shoulders.

Grinning broadly, they held out their owls to Gram. Lily had a snowy white one, James has a tawny brown one, Sirius chose a brown-black owl (looking as though it has gone through an accident), as Remus picked a screeching red-brown owl. Gram almost fainted. 'Do you know what sort of owl you'd picked?' she asked faintly. They shook their heads in response, still grinning as they pull her to the counter. 'Lily, yours is a snow white one, probably from foreign places, but definitely not here. James, that tawny owl has some sort of – err – mischief brains in it; I wouldn't want another mischief-maker after you four. Sirius, are you sure that owl's okay? It seems as though it had gone through some serious accident. I don't think it'll fly nicely-' Gram was cut by Sirius, 'Gram, this owl will fly fine! I know it.' 'Remus, I don't think your parents would appreciate screeching owls,' Gram said disapprovingly as she paid for the owls. The kids were certainly sure with their chosen owls. 'My mum says a screeching owl would be just fine as I often slept in,' Remus replied casually.

'I really have no idea of what to do with you,' Gram muttered as they went to buy their potions ingredients (at the apothecary's) and cauldrons. Lily was fascinated by the sorts of cauldrons sold and she pointed to a brass gold one, 'Gram, look! It's nice, isn't it? It won't melt either. Can I have it? Please?'

'Now, Lily dear, the letter says pewter, didn't it? We should heed the items needed, including their specifications; a pewter one,' Gram said as she chose four pewter cauldrons. Lily grumbled in response.

Next, Gram half dragged the kids to the stationery's, as they were staring at the broom models in _Quidditch Supplies_. Lily learnt everything about Quidditch, as the shop owner had explained her the rules, ways of playing and all, and was practically on her knees for a broomstick. 'Lily, first years aren't allowed to bring broomsticks! There's no point in buying it if you can't bring it to school. It will simply be used to sweep my floors clean whilst you're studying in school,' Gram had explained as James, Sirius and Remus begged her, too.

'Gram, can you tell me about Hogwarts? I mean, all about it?' Lily started.

'No need to. I'd bought you a book, _Hogwarts: A History_, from Flourish and Blotts. You can read it in the holidays.'

'Okay.'

***

'Have we got everything?' Gram asked the kids.

'Everything but broomsticks. Really Gram, you could have bought them for us,' Sirius complained as he browsed his textbooks in boredom.

'Sirius, I can't have Dumbledore expel you.'

'At least we have our funs,' Remus muttered, looking at his beetle eyes.

'Gram, how are we going back?'

'Floo Powder. Common way to save time.'

Lily wasn't quite sure on that idea. She didn't like the idea of being swallowed into the flames again, but if that is the only way to get back quick, she have to accept it. Her stomach's already grumbling about having not enough for breakfast and her legs were complaining of being walked on too much.

'Can we go now? Mr Tummy's being really upset at the moment, Gram'

'Oh, I'd forgotten all about lunch! Oh well, we'll make it. Here, take the Floo Powder and we'll go through Malkin's fireplace.'

Great. I'll be swallowed up by flames once again, Lily said to herself. She took a pinch of the powder for the second time of the day and they walked towards _Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions_. Gram asked permission to use the fireplace and they were ushered into a little room where red flames were cackling merrily and tiny sparks flew out continuously. Lily gulped as she listened to Gram talking. 

'Now, say _Bluebells Cup_ this time, as we're going home. James, your mother asked me to look after you as she'll be visiting your grandparents in Godric's Hollow. Sirius, Remus, you can choose to go home or come with us. Now off we go, Lily first.'

Lily took a deep breath as she walked bravely towards the fire, as if daring it to eat her alive. She threw in the green powder as green flames burst, gobbling up the red ones, before stepping in and calling 'Bluebells Cup!' as darkness engulfed her.

***

She landed in a thud as she stared at the blur picture before her. She rubbed her eyes as they're still dizzy from the travel before recognizing it as Gram's room. She jumped up quickly, realizing that the next person might come hurtling down and knock into her. James shot out after her, hands flinging, as his books, his owl, cauldron and all scattered around the room in mess.

'One rough ride. Sirius and Remus'll be coming with us.' James muttered, brushing his shirt off soot and coals. True enough, Sirius and Remus come bounding after them, followed by Gram.

Gram got up and skidded towards the kitchen to prepare meals as the four carried their things to Lily's room to be sorted out.

Lily pulled out a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ before burying her nose into it. James is already feeding his owl with some owl pellets and feels him for a high temperature (it looked green). Sirius and Remus were rummaging through their goods from Zonko's before pulling out a parchment and start a list of things to do with them. Gram hummed herself a tune as she readied lunch.

An hour later, a delicious scent has already wafted around their noses as the four perked up and ran towards the kitchen, holding their cutleries in eagerness. Lily still had her nose in the book ('Finish this quick and I'll get to look up at spells to use') and was already towards the end as Gram came in waltzing into the dining, plates levitating in air again before settling down in front of the eager faces.

'Why didn't you use magic, Gram?'

'Yea left us to starve, didn't you?'

'Our tummy's grumbling…'

'Mine's eating my juices already!'

'I didn't use magic because I'm too used by cooking on my own, dears. Are you eating?'

The four had already attacked their lunch and was at Gram for refills.

'Really hungry, aren't you?' Gram said smiling. The four nodded as their plates were filled as they attacked it with relish once again.

Sirius patted his stomach with a satisfied expression. 'That was great, Gram. Now Remus and me have to leave now. Thanks Gram!' With that, Sirius and Remus left the house with their things and a full stomach. Lily turned her last page and had finished it as James pig down his food once again.

A satisfied grin plastered on her face, Lily went upstairs to collect her textbooks and start on them, hoping to come across a fine spell to use on Petunia, James bounding up the stairs after her.

The red head opened her one of her many books as she began to gobble up all the information the book has provided her with. James was staring at his owl (looking purple now) in amusement, wondering what happened to its brown color. Lily zapped through her books quickly (she's a quick reader) as she settled down to perform simple spells. She grabbed her wand and muttered '_Lumos_', giving her wand's tip a soft glow of bright light. James was too busy with his owl to notice her. Lily ignored him too, as she went on to the next one. '_Wingardium Leviosa_!' she called, pointing to the clock beside her bed. Nothing. She looked at it carefully before pointing her wand in the clock's direction, '_Wingardium Leviosa_!' she cried, as the clock began hovering over her bed. Walking over to her door, she locked it, only to tap it with her wand and said '_Alohomora_' before the lock unlocked itself, opening the door to her.

Lily grinned. She'd managed a couple of simple spells. James was talking to his owl now, obviously trying to make a conversation with the purple-blue creature. Lily turned to him, stared at the owl, and sighed. She reached up to her book before opening it and turning it to a page full of spells and what it does. She walked over to the owl and tapped it softly with her wand, saying _Curiosa_. James was already moaning at the owl to return to its proper color when it turned brown in front of his eyes. He blinked at it. The owl blinked back. 'Lily! How'd you do that? I'd tried talking to it, feeding it owl pellets – loads, too – and it just wouldn't listen! Hey, you got those spells read up? How come you never call me?'

Lily stared at him. 'I tried to attract your attention, but it seems like you're more interested in this owl here. Thought I'd give you a helping hand with him,' Lily said slowly before opening her Transfiguration book again. James heard her muttering 'mm… okay', 'worth a try' and lots more before looking around him. The clock on her bedside table had turned into a rooster. Her pencils are replaced by magnificent peacock quills and her table? It became a sleeping rhinoceros.

Not eager to lose, James grabbed up his book and began soaring through the pages, faster than Lily was. Lily was in the midst of turning her covers into soft clouds when she heard James crying out '_Lumos_'. 'Hey, no need to cry it _that _loud! I'm sure the whole village heard you and thought you were getting a bulb. Your wand can hear you, that's enough,' Lily said before turning her attention to her covers again.

'Humph! I know it alright, just wanna prove it to you that I can do it as well.'

'Thanks! I'm now, at least, glad that I am not the only one who'd done the studying.'

'You're most welcomed.'

'JAMES!'

Lily's Gram came bursting at the door.

'You are not- oh, my!'

Gram almost fainted at the sight that greeted her. James and Lily's owl were flying around, scattering feathers in process as things were thrown everywhere. On Lily's table, peacock quills stood on her desk and a proud rooster sat at her bedside table. Lily's covers were in process of turning themselves into pink clouds.

'What, Gram?'

'Nothing. James, you are NOT to call out your spells aloud. Sure, you can practice your spells, but we can't have _everyone_ hearing that, can we? Minimize the volume, can't you?'

'Sorry Gram. I'll slow down. Just thought my wand wouldn't hear me unless I shout.'

'Excuses, excuses,' Gram tut as she closes the door after her.

'Well, getting the hang of it?'

'Sort of.'

'I'd memorized everything. Hopefully, I can pass the test easily. Just need to work on the practicals, but they seem fine,' Lily said, pointing at the hovering, fluffy cloud. She waved her wand at it as it return its shape back to her covers.

'Good for you. I wonder what Sirius and Remus had planned though. Must be outrageous, or I'll levitate them up high,' James said, grinning cheerfully.

'They'd better,' Lily agreed as she move on to open her _Hogwarts: A History_ once again.

AN: So there! Another end to another chapter. I'm sorry 'bout the font size, but I find it easier to save space in a smaller font. So I hope this font's bigger… Watch out for chapter 3 (I'll try to get it up before leaving for holidays) and please, please review this chapter! I'll sign off now to start writing chapter 3. Like I'd said, it might take a day or two – maybe three – so I hope to receive some reviews until then! Sorry 'bout my bad sense of humor… Thanks for reading ^_^


	3. Platform 9¾

AN: Hooray! I managed it before going for my holiday!! *wipes tears off her eyes* I can't believe it! Well, I can, but this chapter'll be short; not as long as Chapter 2, though. I hope you enjoy it!

NOTE: Yes, I _know_ that Lily's a muggle in the books, but what harm is there to play with the lines? It might turn out to be fun. And who says James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin lives near her? It's just to add some fun to the oncoming chapters. Hope you understand… 

Ginny :), sorry but my parts seem to be long, as I'm eager to see how fast and how far I can go ^_^; 

And I'd made the font to be as large as fanfiction.net's – guess it's okay now???

_bunny chan_

The Marauding Five : Year One

**Chapter 3: Platform 9¾**

Lily yawned as her alarm clock rang in shrill notes at 8:30 in the morning. It is September the first and she, Lily Evans, will be boarding Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, one of the best magic schools out there. Lily Evans, a red head mischievous girl of eleven, is no ordinary person. She is, in fact, a witch, ready to start her first year in Hogwarts, just like how her Grandmother and her mother had been in her age.

The day before, she, James, Remus and Sirius had coated the village doors with invisible paint, leaving the doors invisible to eyes. So people just walked in, thinking that the doors were already opened and smashed themselves straight into the solid door. Jumping beanstalks were placed in every garden as a shock to those who came out in the evening to tend their gardens. Nose-biting teacups replaced every teacup (but theirs) in the village, giving all the villagers a shock when their teacups bit their noses. Mrs Ferment, who had an abnormally large nose, was bitten hard and her nose is now swollen red. Along the street, Lily and Sirius had skillfully painted the words 'We're leaving tomorrow! Don't miss us too much! James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin' The villagers weren't pleased with them. That had been a goodbye present to the villagers from the Marauders.

Lily grinned at that thought and jumped out of bed, hurriedly put on a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt before pulling her trunk from her cupboard. She threw open the cover and poured in her books (she had another read at them last night) and her willow wand. Quickly, she ran her brush through her silky hair, right till the end of her fine curls. She added in necessary things (hairbrushes, pins, clips, scrunchies etc) and dragged her trunk out of her room and run down the stairs, making a loud _clunking noise on the stairs. Her Gram was already awoke and frying omelets on a pan when Lily bounced in._

Lily's parents and her sister, Petunia, were on a holiday and won't be back until January. Gram greeted her cheerfully as she levitated the omelets to Lily's empty plate. 'Good morning, Lily! Ready to go to Hogwarts, dear?' she asked questioningly. 'I've been waiting all my life for this, Gram! I mean, at least I know what those weird things happening around me when I was young mean now. Goodness, being a witch is surely a very lucky thing that could've happened to anyone!' Lily chattered excitedly. When she was younger, weird things kept happening around her, James, Sirius and Remus. Flying bedpans, hovering plates… whenever they're in trouble, luck seems to fall by them and they'd always managed to get away from it as easily as can be. There was once when they were to take a test and Lily hadn't memorised everything, the test papers for grade 6 turned into one for grade 2. The teachers had somehow thought that Lily and gang (James, Sirius and Remus) had swapped the papers and they were given a detention. Teachers blamed everything on them because, mainly, they're a huge set of trouble-makers. Next, they were awfully smart and very full of themselves, causing them to grow even more of a trouble-maker.

'Eat up everything, dear. The Potters will bring you to King's Cross Station any minute!'

'I'm done, Gram. Lovely omelets.'

'Thanks, dear.'

Just then, the doorbell rang shrilly.

'Gotta go now! Bye Gram!' Lily said as she hugged her Gram and collected all her things before opening the door to reveal five pairs of twinkling eyes and smiling faces. 'Hi James, Sirius, Remus, Mr Potter, Mrs Potter! How about leaving now? It'll be a mess if we get stuck in the traffic!' Lily said as she jumped down towards them.

'Sure. They're as eager as you are, too,' Mr Potter said in a merry voice as he led them to the car. Lily dumped her trunk in and carried her owl's cage with her to the backseat. Lily slipped in beside James before banging the door close as they chatted merrily about their holidays and most of all, Hogwarts. Mr Potter cut in sometimes, as they were discussing about the tricks they'll play, to give them several suggestions and interesting spells to use. They were glad about this, of course. Mrs Potter gave them another load of Dungbombs, nose-biting teacups, shrinking toffees and more magical tricks as their parting present.

They reach King's Cross Station without any problems, and Mr Potter showed them the way to cross the barrier that separated Platform 9 and 10. Lily had gasped in fright but was calmed down by Mrs Potter, who gave her more dungbombs and tips to annoy people. She ran forward with Sirius, and her stomach had churned tightly, afraid of knocking down. To her surprise, she found herself staring at a scarlet steam train and standing right in front of the sign reading _Platform 9¾._

She gaped in surprise, staring intensely at the sign, when James and Remus collided in with her. 'Yeow! Why'd you stand there for? Everyone crosses the barrier and if you stand there forever, think of how many casualties there'll be!' James said as he shook his head, tutting at her. Lily turned around, sends a dungbomb in his direction and back off, just as it exploded in James' face.

He coughed and start spluttering (it went into his mouth). Everyone had turned to stare at them by that time. Sirius had doubled over with laughter and Remus was grinning broadly beside him. Lily merely smirked at her friends as three dungbombs were sent into the air once again. Lily, Remus and Sirius glared at James. 'JAMES POTTER!!!!!!' they cried in annoyance.

'Well, don't do that to me. Never! Look, my clothes are starting to stink and the train's leaving. Let's go now. We'll talk in the compartment.'

They hurried their things into an empty compartment, just as the train whistled and chugged off.

Lily used a charm to remove the awful smell the Dungbombs had just started, but she couldn't seem to get rid of the gooey stuff (remainders of the Dungbomb) in James' mouth. He took to washing his tongue with water for 30 minutes. By the time he returned, his tongue hang over his lower lips like a dog's.

James and Lily were teaching them spells they'd found in Gram and the Potters' library, which proved to be really useful and interesting. Both had spent time practicing on counter-curses and hexes during the holidays, whilst Sirius and Remus had a list of plans for the year.

'Boy, I'm starving!'

'Sirius, didn't you eat this morning?'

'No. I woke up kinda late and mother shook me out of bed.'

'Want a cookie?'

'Who baked it?'

'Mother.'

'I think I'll pass.'

James' mother had a bad reputation for a cook. Mrs Potter can do almost everything but cook, even with her magic spells. She could hardly even boil an egg!

'You think so?'

'Yea.'

'How about sandwiches?'

'I'll go for that.'

Sirius snatched a packet of sandwiches from Remus' hands and start attacking it like a dog. The others merely rolled their eyes on his when he spitted out something green.

'Eeew, yuck! Remus, why'd you have alfalfa in your sandwich?'

'Mother thinks it's good for health. I'd seriously thought of throwing it, but you simply snatch it from me and eat it. Thanks for saving my trouble.'

'No problem. Remind me next time. I hate alfalfas.'

'Well, Gram gave me some butterbeer. She thinks that someone-' Lily cocked her eye on Sirius '- might go hungry on the train ride.'

'Oh, goody! I love butterbeers!'

Lily drew out four tall bottles of butterbeers from her trunk.

The four were drinking their butterbeers whilst chatting on which house to go to when the compartment door burst open. Wondering who could not have found a compartment this late (it's halfway to Hogwarts), they glanced up. James was drinking his butterbeer when that person barged in. He looked up, only sprayed his mouthful of butterbeer at that person's face, who wiped it off angrily.

'Who're you?' Lily asked, glancing from her butterbeer. 'Severus Snape,' came the reply. It was a greasy haired boy with an oily voice. Remus shivered slightly at it. 'Introduce yourself,' Snape demanded. 'And just why must we?' James asked, trying not to burst at him. His hair was in such a way where you think one might've just gotten out of a fight, as it stuck up at odd ends, worst than James'. His greasy hair and weird face added up the funny look of him.

'Because I'm a Snape,' he snapped.

'Oh? What if we don't want to?' Sirius started, patting at his butterbeer-filled tummy fondly.

'Then you'll pay.'

'How?'

'A hex.'

Lily scoffed at that.

'You aren't stupid, are you?' Snape said, annoyed at how the conversation was going.

'Sorry to disappoint you but no, I'm not stupid.' Lily replied casually, sipping on her butterbeer.

'What are you doing here anyway?'

'Looking.'

'At…?'

'New kids. You're in first year, aren't you?'

'Hit the nail right on the head.'

'What?'

'Muggle phrase.'

'You're a Mudblood?'

Lily jumped up as James, Sirius and Remus drew their wand at him.

'What did you just call me, Snape?'

'Mudblood.'

'Sorry, but maybe you're too imperious to notice that I'm no muggle.'

'That's right. She's a witch.'

'Hah!'

'Excuse me, if _I_ am a muggle born, you'll be an earwig or better still, a dead fly.'

'You're not serious, right, to offend me? Here I am, trying to be friends and there you are, acting so know-all and goody-goody. Everyone knows that Snapes can do good hexes.'

'Sorry, I'm Lily.'

'I'm Sirius.'

'I'm James.'

'I'm Remus.'

'And she's not Sirius. _We _don't think you can do any hexes at all, just because someone in your family line can.' The three boys chorused together, pointing at Lily who bowed gracefully, followed by the boys.

'At you service, kind master,' Sirius said in a pleasant voice.

'That's better. Not kind, you dolt. Nasty. Cruel.' Snape replied in his oily voice, pleased with the given attention.

'Sorry, dolt. No can do,' Sirius yawned.

'Yep! If you're hoping for services, you could always ask the brains here,' Remus pointed to James and Lily.

'How about a simple body-bind?'

'Deal.'

'_Petrificus totalus!'_

Snape was soon on the ground; his hands and legs stiffen up as soon as the spell hit him.

'And that,' Lily cried triumphantly, 'should shut him up. Know some good hexes, eh? Well, try to counter _that _first, slimeball.' She polished her wand, as if disgust to use it on Snape. 'Right. I guess we'd found our rival. I don't need anyone telling me so, but even if we hadn't really fight yet, I can feel that we're rivals already. Might as well say it early,' James said shrugging.

'Any more butterbeer, Lily?'

'Sorry Sirius. I'm saving them.'

'Dang.'

Just then, a cheerful witch walked in with a tray filled with goodies. 'Want anything? First years, aren't you?' They nodded as they crammed over the tray. Snape lay forgotten in a corner, mouth gagged by a piece of cloth.

Lily grabbed a couple of chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes and Liquorice Wands. She winced at the Cockroach Clusters amd Spider Spinnerets. The boys, especially Sirius, took at least one of each food served. They paid for them and sat huddling together, sharing their goodies.

Just to pass the time, they thought of playing with Snape. James had transfigured a tissue into a quill and had started writing on Snape's clothes 'Wash your greasy hair, you fat slimeball!' Lily had taken thr quill and had stated a few interesting lines on him:

'_Thus the name is Severus Snape,_

_Snapping all over the train;_

_Teasing helpless kids and all,_

_Was just what this slimeball thought;_

_Thinking he's the greatest git,_

_Pompous, cruel, with yellow teeth;_

_Oh, beware, those out of his lair,_

_For this is the dirty, greasy pig!_'

'It doesn't has to rhyme. All I need to tell others was this git has terrible manners with an equally terrible look to go with,' Lily said pointedly, grinning at her work on Snape. Sirius had rolled over with laughter at the line 'Pompous, cruel, with yellow teeth' had deciding that since Snape's teeth weren't yellow enough, Lily should perform a charm so that it turned yellow. Remus snatched the quill from Lily and start doodling a childish picture ofSeverus Snape running from his bath. Sirius had taken the honour to cast the spell to make it dance around Snape. Lastly, Sirius took the quill and wrote over Snape's face 'I am Severus Snape; King of all idiots,Emperor of all gits and the God of all Geeks'.The compartment doubled over with laughter as Snape glared at them through the process of all.

The train slowed down to a crawl and a voice echoed throught the train: 'We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train as it will be taken to the school seperately.'

Hurriedly, the boys changed into their robes as Lily turned around to do the same. Snape was kicked out of their compartment, courtesy of Sirius' thoughts that he looked too greasy, and into another, where all the students were of seventh years, of which two of them were the Head Boy and Girl. They looked shocked at Snape's appearance in body-bind, his looks and the doodlings and writings all over him. Soon, the compartment burst out into endless laughter. The Head Girl pointed over to the little poetry Lily had wrote and they doubled over. The Head Boy laughed at the doodlings of a running Snape from his bath. At last, when they had enough of laughs and restored Snape back. The boy snarled and growled, but couldn't do anything much as the seventh years were much bigger and older than he. Sirius grinned gleefully.

'Serves him right,' Remus smirked. 'It always does. God, did you see the Head Boy's face when he saw Snape? He looked like he half wanted to die of laughter at that very moment!' Sirius said, bouncing back in with the others. James and Lily were howling with laughter on the floor when the train slowed to a stop.

They quickly pulled their faces straight, but thoughts of the seventh years' frantic and ludicrous looks kept replying themselves in their minds. A large shadow called loudly, his voice booming echoes all around. 'Firs'-years! Firs'-years over 'ere! Mind your step, now! Firs'-years, follow me!'

The first years gathered quickly over Hagrid as they followed him, stumbling and slipping down a steep, narrow path. He lead them through what seems like a forest to Lily. 'Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec!' Hagrid called, 'Jus' round the bend.'

The first years held their breath as the path open on to the edge of a great, black lake. Sitting on top of a high mountain on the other side, with a thousand many windows sparkling in the starry night, was a huge castle with many turrets and towers. 'No more'n four to a boat!' Hagrid called as Lily, James, Sirius as Remus rushed to one of the gently floating boats at the edge of the lake.

'Ev'ryone in? Then FORWARD!' Hagrid called loudly.

The fleet of boats moved off all at once, gliding gracefully across the lake. They sailed near to the cliff on which the castle of Hogwarts stood as Hagrid yelled, 'Heads down!'. Everyone bent their heads as the boats carried them through a curtain of overgrown ivy which hid an opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel which seemed to be running underground until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out on to rocks and pebbles.

They climbed up a flight of stone steps and in front of them lay a huge, oak door. Hagrid raised his gigantic fist and knocked the door three times. Lily was pretty sure that it must have echoed throughout the castle, judging by the sound of it and had made note to come a little later next year, so as not to be deafened by those knocks. Half the first years had already covered their ears in fright of the sound. Must be one huge headache for the school inside, Lily mused as the door opened slowly.

AN: well, that's the end of chapter 3! I'm writing chapter four now, and I'll post it as soon as I'm finished with it. Promise! So, please be a dear and review this story! I might get it out sooner then… ^_^ toodle-dums!

** **


	4. The Sorting Ceremony

AN: I had the fourth chapter! I'd written the fourth chapter! hooray! Please read it and review it for me!! Please? Please? I tried my best in making it long and this is what I'd managed to do… and I shan't be posting anymore after this. J/k! I would be posting more if you review, but I'll be off vacationing, so please r/r this story whilst I'm gone! I'll post the next chapter once I get some reviews ^_^ thanks to those who reviewed my chapters! And to those who don't maybe a cornish pixie each will do…? Then again, I wouldn't want to have them pinching me… on with the story!

_bunny chan_

The Marauding Five : Year One

**Chapter 4: The Sorting Ceremony**

The door swung open as a tall, black haired witch in bright red robes stood there with a stern expression in her face. The Marauders took a step forward as the other first years cowered, as if the witch is going to turn them all into earwigs or send them off to detention without a reason.

'Firs'-years, Professor McGonagall,' Hagrid said.

'Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them in from here.'

The first years walked in, the Marauders leading, as Professor McGonagall pulled the door wide to admit them. The Marauders walked casually after McGonagall as they walked across a flagged stone floor and into an empty chamber. A drone of voices could be heard from a doorway to their right. Lily was sure everyone had arrived in the hall by now.

McGonagall opened to start off her usual speech: 'Welcome to Hogwarts, The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dorms and spend your free time in your house common room.'

'Sounds pretty boring, yet interesting,' James whispered to Lily, who giggled at this.

'The four houses that you will be sorted into are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history-' James cut in a whisper 'All but Slytherin' '-and each has produced outstanding wizards and witches. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.'

Professor McGonagall paused. 'The Sorting ceremony will begin soon in front of the school. I shall return when we are ready with you. You may take the time to clean yourselves,' the professor finished, eyeing a disapproving look at Severus Snape, whom, is still trying to rid off the drawings and words, but failed as the Marauders had used a permanent ink on him. She heaved a sigh of relief and began to make some mental notes to change this welcoming speech. Sure, she'd put a spell on herself to recite all this, but saying the same thing every year can become quite boring.

McGonagall turned towards the door and walked out, leaving all the first years trembling; well, all but the Marauders. They simply grinned to themselves when they hear the first years saying;

'D'you think they'll test us with spells?'

'I wonder how will they sort us?'

'What must we do??'

'I don't know any spells!'

'Okay, which should I use? Lumos?'

'Oh my…'

'I think I'll be sent home if we're tested with spells.'

'What'd dad say?'

'Maybe I should try Noctrus?'

'I think I'll catch the next train back.'

'What am I to do?'

'Well, my parents said that you'll be putting a hat on your head. It'll grab your head, pull your hair, bite into your scalps-' a nervous first year, Drolly Ternningham, shivered.

'I know how we're being sorted,' James said imperiously.

The first years, at once, turned to him as if he's the Head Boy.

'You do?'

'Yep, we do.'

'Oh, tell us!'

'Can a no do?'

'No no can do. Please tell us!'

'Sorry.'

'Please?'

'Think again.'

'We're positive about you telling us!'

'Think double times again.'

'Double times the positive.'

'Nope. You'd to do with no.'

'Why?'

'Top secret.'

'Strictly confidential.'

'No leakage, or the plumber'll have problems coming.'

'Order of Merlin, first class.'

The Marauders grinned at Lily at this remark.

'Oooh!'

'You'll find out soon enough too anyway!'

'I wanna know if it hurts…'

'Not unless you want it to.'

'Top secret. Highly confidential. Very un-flammable.'

This, of course, came from James.

'Minerva's property.'

'No, Remus, Dumbledore's property of confidential and very, very strict rules.'

'Right, Sirius.'

'Always, James.'

'What's so serious?'

'No, it's SIRIUS; not serious.'

'Oh, is that your name?'

'Right.'

'I'm James.'

'I'm Lily.'

'And I'm Remus.'

'Tell us about the sorting!'

'No. Like I'd said, no can do.'

'Why?'

'Merlin's order, remember?'

'Don't joke! We're in nervous breakdown state!'

'Too bad. I'd done that already.'

'Form a line!' McGonagall's strict voice called from the door. Immediately, they shifted into a long line, as they were lead into the Great Hall.

The starry sky was twinkling above their heads as the stars called out merrily to them. Bewitched, like Lily had told Sirius and Remus, to look like the sky outside. Before them, thousands and thousands of candles, which were floating mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting, lighting the picture. Before each student, were lines of golden plates and goblets. The first years stood in front of the Great Hall, backs facing the teachers. Pale white ghosts were seen from here, their luminous body shining mystically, adding the splendor to the already magnificent scene.

McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On the stool, she placed a pointed wizard's hat. It was patched in places and frayed to the ends. Not to mention that it was extremely dirty, Lily said thoughtfully to herself. Don't they ever wash it?

Everyone was staring at the hat.

Suddenly, the hat twitched a little, sending a few first years jumping in fright. The next thing was what Lily and the Marauders had least expect it to do. It _talked_. It not only talked, it _sang_. The first years were quite taken aback by this.

# 'I may be a cap

# With patches and flap

_And seem as stupid as can be_

_With fraying ends_

_And dying ants_

_Looking like a dirty hat's me_

_But I can show_

_That looks are a throw_

_With these brilliant brains of mine_

_I can sort you out_

_Without a doubt_

_And send you off in pride_

_In merry Gryffindor _

_Where lies the bold_

_A brave a daring group_

_Fair Hufflepuff_

_Where they are told_

_To be just, loyal and true_

_Ravenclaw's yours _

_If you turn to be_

_An eager learning soul_

_Or sly Slytherin_

_Where dwells the means_

_Of rules and of great things_

_Just put me on_

_(no worry or harm)_

_As I sort your houses out_

_Leave it to me_

_As it is my job_

# To sort new students out.'

Lily heard Ternningham muttered something about getting back at his parents for frightening him. The Marauders just laughed silently at the first year's faces when they knew that they only had to put on that hat. They straighten themselves well when McGonagall start reading names off a long parchment to try on the hat. When it was Sirius' turn, he ran, fixed the hat on his head and had barely yet sat on the stool when it called out 'Gryffindor'. The Gryffindor table cheered loudly as Sirius ran off grinning to join them.

James didn't bother about the others until it came to Lily. Lily walked up the stool calmly as she jammed the hat on her head. A few seconds later, Lily ran off to the Gryffindor's table and sat beside Sirius who's waving franticly at her. He skipped on until Remus' turn. It seemed like the hat had taken quite some time considering Remus, maybe because he's a werewolf, James added silently. The Marauders knew all about Remus being a werewolf and had brought back his courage by being continuously friendly towards him. It was only after fifteen seconds that Remus joined the Gryffindor table. James shook as his nerves clashed into him when his name was called.

'Now, what do I have here? Oh, a really eager learning boy, just like Lily. I see you're mischievous, too. Very brave and loyal. There's only one place for you: _Gryffindor_!' the hat's tiny voice yelled as James put down the hat and join the Marauders at the Gryffindor table, slipping into an empty seat beside Lily, who hugged him fiercely. 'Thought you wouldn't make it. At first, I thought Remus wouldn't too, but the hat seemed to have played tricks with us,' Lily said, grinning.

Soon, Severus Snape was called. 'Thank goodness our names were far from his! I wouldn't want to touch that hat after it being put on by Snape,' Lily said thankfully as Snape was sorted into Slytherin. The others merely nodded in agreement. No one would want to put on the hat after Snape's greasy hair. They watch as the next boy, Drolly Ternningham, gingerly put on the hat over his head. He was sorted into Hufflepuff.

'Pity,' James sighed. 'I kind of liked the way he took into us when we were talking about the Sorting.'

'Well, every first year seemed to be goggling at us,' Lily said, rolling her emerald-green eyes.

'Guess so, but he paid the most attention,' Sirius added.

'Yea…'

The sorting ceremony ended as Dumbledore stood up to give his speech.

'I'd like to inform the school that a Whomping Willow has been planted on the school grounds. It may be dangerous, as the Willow is known to hit anyone – or anything – that come near it. Therefore, it should be avoided by all means. The Forbidden Forest is still off limits to students. And lastly, Draco, Dormiens Nunquam, Titillandus!' Dumbledore smiled as he retreat.

Remus stared at him.

'What's with him?' he asked a fourth year.

'Oh, nothing much. He's a little looney in his head sometimes. Roast chicken?' the fourth year replied, holding out a roast chicken to Remus, who stared blankly.

'Food's served?'

Remus turned and found the plates filled with roast chicken, roast beef, pies, gravy, pork chops, tacos and a hundred over things. His eyes turned round as he quickly dug himself a huge scoop of peas. James was eating his food in an unbelievable rate, Lily is helping herself to almost everything but Mint Humbugs and Sirius - well, he ate just _everything_. His plate was clearly the fullest around the table, piled with all sorts of things. And at the rate he was finishing them before the eyes of the Gryffindor house, one would've thought he was starved for 30 years or so.

Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost, introduced himself to the Marauders when he was sneezed across the table by another first year, Billy Martins. The four knew all about the house ghost (it's in _Hogwarts: A History_) and welcome him warmly.

The Head Boy and Girl was in their house, and when they saw the Marauders, they burst out laughing with the other seventh years that had sat with them in the train. 'Good job there! Since he's a Slytherin, you earn 10 points each for doing so,' the Head Boy, Tom Turnnet, said, patting on the Marauders' back, grinning broadly at them. The Head Girl just stood shaking all over as images of Snape, doodles and writings all over, came snailing back to her. 'Snape hasn't rid himself off those doodles yet, I can see. What sort of ink you used? I'm a sort of mischief-maker, too,' Tom said, as his eyes glinted mischievously. They quickly fill him with the details of the ink. 'Muggle devices are cool if you use them correctly,' Sirius said happily, glad to find someone who's in the league with them. Tom agreed full heartedly as he fill them in with tricks they could use,mischiefs to be played and all. He was, clearly, full of it himself too. The Marauders looked happily on, glad that they weren't the only ones trying to turn things over and that they have a partner in crime.

They met Peeves, a poltergeist, who threw water balloons at them. Of course, the Marauders returned his greetings cheerfully with stink pellets, drawing gasps and complains from the hall. Peeves smiled at them happily (something he _rarely_ does) as they went on playing, stenching the whole of the Great Hall with it's smell. Peeves seemed happy with the Marauder's sense of fun and had somehow taken it to befriend them.

Dumbledore had chuckled gleefully all through the little meeting, until McGonagall screamed at him to stop the unruly behaviors of the new first years and Peeves.

The feast done, Dumbledore conducted the school song, which everyone sang in different tune at a different rate:

_'Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please, _

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us something worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot.'_

_ _

The Marauders ended it with a very slow piece of wedding march. Everyone burst out laughing when they sang the last note wrong, on purpose, and even more when they clambered up the Gryffindor table and make their majestic bow to the whole school. Dumbledore didn't object to any of this, but smiled widely at the scene before him, his eyes twinkling just as merrily.

After the feast, they were led to the Gryffindor common room – hidden behind a large portrait of a fat lady in pink – by a prefect. He gave the Fat Lady the password (Flying Unicorns) and marched them to their dorms. Lily, however, was taken to her dorm by another prefect.

Peeves appeared again to victimize the Slytherin dorms with Dungbombs, despite his fear of the Bloody Baron.

Severus Snape is being laughed at by the older students as he tried removing the doodles, dignity and high air lost.

Nearly Headless Nick had shown the first years about how his gruesome death had been.

The Bloody Baron ran into Argus Filch, the caretaker, and punishes Filch to scrubbing _his_ trophies that he'd won years ago, when he was a student in Hogwarts, without magic. Filch was grumbling pointlessly about how'd he ended doing his own detention for the students as they – the students – watched on, amused.

Dumbledore chuckled merrily at the memory of Peeves and the four new first years' encounter with each other and Severus Snape's doodles as Fawkes the Phoenix burst into flames in his cage.

McGonagall is sitting in her office, moaning at the thought of a new welcome speech. 'Maybe I'll just stick to the old one,' she moaned, holding her head tiredly.

The Sorting Hat sat in Dumbledore's office, thinking of a new song for the next year, humming a catchy tune.

Teachers busied themselves getting needed utensils for the next day's classes. Well, all but Professor Trelawny. She says she'd noticed the stars telling her that she'd be in her coffin the very next day, so no point preparing for her next lesson, but the other teachers merely snorted at that.

Professor Binns is trying to locate his coffin (his office, too).

The owls in the owlery hooted in thankfulness as the house elves fed and groom them.

Dropping into their pillows, the Marauders fell straight into a deep sleep. 

AN: well, how nice, isn't it? It isn't much and I simply hate the song I'd made up… it sounds so- so- _stupid_ and I feel it being quite silly. I hate writing that song, but I can't simply leave it without a song! Anyways, please be a dear and review this chapter ^_^


	5. Owl Post

AN: Woohoo! Chapter 5! Can you believe it? It's chapter 5! Thank heavens I'd managed to go on til chapter 5! Review after reading, please? You will, won't you? I mean, many people didn't seem to review L is the story that bad? Please, I hope it's not! Tell me it isn't! and yes, I'll be writing it from year to year… all the way to seventh year J like it or not, it's up to you to decide.

_bunny chan_

The Marauding Five : Year One

**Chapter 5: Owl Post**

'Rise and shine!' Lily cried eagerly as she opened the window by her bed to let the morning light stream in. She was eager to start her first day at Hogwarts, despite most that had happened yesterday. Lily turned towards the four lump figures next to her bed. Curious at who they are, she jumped on each's bed energetically and called them up.

'G'morning, girls! I'm Lily Evans, one of the Marauders of Hogwarts's mischief-makers. How was your night?' Lily started cheerfully as four groggy girls looked up at her. 'Bad. Thanks for waking me anyway. I dreamt that greasy haired guy that burst into my compartment yesterday – Snape, I think – and he put a hex on me,' a dark brown haired girl replied, rubbing her drowsy eyes. 'Good to know you hate him, too. Did you see him yesterday? Eeurgh! He looked like he hadn't washed his hair for ages!' a blonde said, making a face. 'Hey, d'you see him at the sorting? Boy, was he messed up! Doodles all over his face and all! Heck, there's even a poetry on his robes! Wish I knew the people who did that to him. He put a hex on me,' another brunette piped. 'Well, I'd say serves him right. He put a hex on me, too. Something like the curse of bogies. Yuck.' A black head girl bit her lips angrily. 'Wish I knew who did those fabulous drawings, writings and poems on him. By the way, the name's Nina Pittard,' the first brunette girl said, holding her hands to them.

'Nice to meet you. I'm Pertsy Perttingham. Odd name. Don't point it,' the other brunette said with a dismissive wave. 'Sita Reekster,' the black head said softly. 'Tally Chapman. Who're you? What d'you mean "one of the Marauders of Hogwarts"? I didn't know there was one,' the blonde asked Lily.

'The name's Lily Evans. Yea, I'm one of the Marauders,' Lily said as a glint twinkled in her green eyes. 'What's that?' Pertsy asked as she smothered her long brown hair. Nina brushed hers down as she look questioningly at Lily.

'You'll know soon enough. I'm sure the rest of us wouldn't like introducing our group just yet,' Lily replied with a grin. With a flick of her wand, she had herself changed, brushed and cleaned. Gram had taught her the little trick a few days ago. 'I'll see you girls at the Great Hall!' Lily jumped out of the room and bounded down the passageways, careful with the steps as she walked down it. The head girl, Elley Rittardo, had said that most of the steps were only tricks and eye-fooling and she had told Lily all the hidden doors, steps and passageways the night before.

Lily bumped into the boys on her way to the Great Hall.

'Hey boys! Wanna give the school a head start on who we are?'

'Definitely. We'll just stay here for a while and wait til everyone enter-'

'-then we'll make our grand entrance-'

'-announce our arrivals-'

'-and introduce ourselves!' Lily finished triumphantly. It has been a routine for them, as in their primary years, they did these 'grand appearance' every morning.

'What about post? I don't want to miss it yet,' James asked worriedly.

'Oh, I'd locked the Owlery last night when visiting ol' Radish. Added in a few Dungbombs and a couple of fireworks. It'll be some time for the house elves to calm them down before letting them out,' Remus replied casually.

The lay in shadows for a while and waited til everyone entered. The last of the students were Nina, Pertsy, Sita and Tally, who were complaining about hidden steps, wrong passageways and Peeves. After the door shut after them, the four took it as their cue to enter.

Sirius threw open the door as Remus magicked a red carpet to roll from there to the Gryffindor table. Lily pointed her wand and muttered something, just as trumpet blowers appeared and blew at their arrival. The four walked in grandly, heads held up high and grinning broadly, just as an announcer (James magicked him) came in calling, 'Announcing the arrivals of the Marauders of Hogwarts: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin!'. He then disappeared as soon as he came.

Several seventh years recognized them as the ones who threw Snape into their compartment and were telling everyone about who gave Snape the doodles, the poem and the writings. Soon, the whole school (all but Slytherin - they'd _die_ than to applaud to Gryffindors) was already applauding to them, as they bowed gracefully before sitting on the Gryffindor table. The Snapes were known as one of the nastiest wizarding family.

'So which of you wrote that poetry for that disgusting slimeball?' Tally started. Grinning, Lily held up a victory sign. 'Marauders of Hogwarts? Are you out of your mind?' Nina asked. Sirius shook his head. 'How'd you do that? To Snape, I mean,' Pertsy asked. James tutted at her. 'Aren't you ever answering us?' Sita asked, clearly annoyed. Remus shook his head. The girls gave up and left the four.

'We'll be so famous, we'd break the school's record. One for academics, one for the most detentions, one for the best mischief-makers, one for the best students of Hogwarts and one for the best jokers,' Sirius said, piling food onto his plate. 'Those girls are annoying,' Remus started as he poured milk in his glass. 

'They're in my dorm.'

'Poor you. Now you'll have to suffer with them.'

'Hah! Like I ever could! _I_ will be the one planning the suffer _them_, not the other way round and never the other way round. Who's in your dorm?'

'Sirius and Remus.'

'Yes, I know that. Besides them.'

'Dan Trevor and Thomas McMillan.'

'Here they come!'

'Hey, Marauders eh?' a fair haired boy walked over. 'Right. The ones who are going to be one of the most dangerous kids in Hogwarts to mess with. I daresay, you wouldn't want to know us,' Lily replied with a smug. 'Sounds like a joke,' a blue haired kid (he'd dyed his hair) snorted. 'Need anything to prove it, Dan?' Sirius asked sweetly before throwing a Dungbomb at him.

'_I_ pity _you_! They're far worst than the girls!'

'Tut tut. Now, it's time for fun!' James said gleefully as owls swooped down into the Great Hall.

A white one landed before Lily, in her beak she held an envelope. Tied to her leg, was a large parcel. Lily opened it and almost tore its contents in excitement. Gram had sent her a set of wizard chess, some Dungbombs, a couple of new tricks and a book: _Counter-Curses, Hexes, Dangerous Tricks and Tips To Play On Your Enemies_. 'Thanks Lotus!' Lily said as her owl bit her affectionately on her finger and sipped some of her pumpkin juice. Lily tore off the letter attached to the parcel and opened it.

'_Dear Lily,_

_How's Hogwarts? Enjoyed it? I bet you will, if you hadn't yet. I'm sending you some of the things I used to own during my days in Hogwarts. The Dungbomb might have a very high effect, as I'd kept it for a very long period already. I'm sure Sirius and James would be glad to teach you how to play Wizards' Chess and I'm very sure that you'd found an enemy of your own there, too. My enemy during my days was Snape, a Slytherin kid with an impossible mind. Hopefully, the book will aid you to revenge on him/her for what they'd done. Odd, how your mother detests magical tricks and all those as I enjoy them a lot. Seeing that you, too, had a passion for mischief making, I thought that the tricks I'd sent will give you as much pleasure as it had to me in my days._

_Love always,_

_Gram.'_

_ _

Lily grinned happily as she sorted out the tricks her Gram had sent. Among them were a few colored toffees, several large packets of powders, a pair of fake eyeballs and some brightly coded letters Lily couldn't understand. She just simply couldn't make the others out as she browse at the list her Gram had sent her and sorted them one by one, reading careful instructions ('-Don't mix with pumpkin juice') and packed them away in her robes.

Jackpot, James' tawny brown owl, was swooping towards Snape at the Slytherin table and had left as quickly as possible, flying back towards James after dropping something on Snape's plate. Snape stared at the red envelope in disbelief had glared at it as half the Slytherins had taken places as far as possible from him. Snape had received a Howler. Soon, Lily saw Soots and Radish sweeping towards him, dropping two more Howlers before his astonished face and flying away as soon as possible. Half the Slytherins had left without breakfast.

Snape opened the first on with trembling hands, just as it began to smoke at the corners. Lily covered her ears, but even through it, she could hear James' loud voice magically enhanced to be louder and sounding more like a growl, booming through the Hall. Teachers looked as if they were about to faint. First, the Marauders had entered with a very royal-like way. Next, a student receive three howlers at once. What else would happen?

'_SEVERUS SNAPE! YOU ARE THE MOST DISGRACED WIZARD TO EVER STEPPED IN THE MAGICAL COMMUNITY! USING WORDS LIKE MUDBLOOD; HOW DARE YOU?! THAT IS THE MOST RUDE WORD I'D EVER COME ACROSS! BY THE WAY, HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED WASHING THAT HAIR? I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF YOU TOLD ME YOU HADN'T BATH EVER SINCE YOU'RE BORNE WITH THAT HUGE, GREASY HEAD OF YOURS. YOUR MOTHER MUST HAVE A TIME OF HER LIFE AT THAT! OR HAVE YOU JUST SIMPLE REFUSED TO WASH YOU HAIR? MAYBE YOU'D LIKE SOME RECOMMENDATION TO WHAT EVERYONE BUT YOU KNOW. YES, YOU NEED A SHAMPOO, YOU GIT! SNAPES ARE BEST WITH SPELLS, HAH! IF YOU CAN'T EVEN WASH YOUR OWN HAIR OR TAKE YOUR OWN BATH, YOU CAN'T EVEN SAY A SPELL!'_

It roared with laughter before it burst into flames. Snape opened the next one gingerly,

'_I WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT TO YOUR HOUSE PROFESSOR! I CERTAINLY WILL, SNAPE! PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE, I SUGGEST YOU TAKE FIFTY POINTS OFF SLYTHERIN FOR THE USE OF FOUL WORDS AND FOR THREATENING STUDENTS!THERE'LL BE NO PEACE IN THE SCHOOL AND BROKEN RULES MUST BE PAID DEARLY! SEND HIM A DETENTION TO THE FOREST AND HELP THE CENTAURS READ THE STARS!'_

That was Remus', Lily mused. Remus was really into astronomy these days and had taken liking at the centaurs who read the stars. This is getting really interesting, Lily grinned again. She excused herself from the table for five minutes, and returned with a huge grin plastered in her face.

By now, Snape was staring hard at the third howler. Hands quivering, he tore it open.

'_SEVERUS SNAPE! I HEREBY READ THE DECREEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC; ORDER OF MERLIN, FIRST CLASS; YOU ARE TO BE SENTENCED FIFTEEN PERCENT OF YOUR LIFE IN AZKABAN FOR DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING-'_

The Hall burst into peals of laughter at this. You'll never be sent to Azkaban for no reason.

'-_AS IT'S A DISGRACE FOR A SNAPE TO NOT DO ANYTHING! ALSO, YOU CALLED A WIZARD-BORNE MUDBLOOD! WHAT YOU THINK OF THOSE WHO ARE MUGGLE-BORNE? THINK OF THE MAGICAL COMMUNITY IF NO MUGGLE-BORN WIZARDS AND WITCHES ARE ALLOWED! DIDN'T YOU KNOW THAT YOUR GRANDMOTHER WAS A MUGGLE-BORN? NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT, HUH, "PURE-BLOOD"? WELL, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU TO DIP YOUR HEAD INTO THE LAKE YOU CROSSED YESTERDAY AS PUNISHMENT AND START WASHING THAT GREASY HAIR OF YOURS WITH A SHAMPOO! UNLESS YOU'D NEVER HEARD OF IT, HERE'S A SAMPLE I GOT YOU, SLIMY GIT!'_

The Hall is now in fits of laughter and the teachers couldn't help but smile at that. To Snape's relief, the last howler dispatched into flames, leaving a small packet of shampoo on his plate. Horror struck him again as Lotus flew towards him with another Howler. Lily grinned at the boys. For the fourth time, Snape opened his Howler.

'_HI HO LO HERE'S THE LITTLE OLD TROLL,_

_WHO'S HAIR'S AS OILY AS CORN OIL;_

_HIS OILY SMILE MAKES EVERYONE CRY_

_WITH A GREASY SCREECHING VOICE;_

_SEVERUS SNAPE OF SLYHERIN HOUSE,_

_LIVE UP TO HIS ANCESTOR'S NAMES;_

_USED THEIR NAMES AND SKIN HIS KNEES,_

_AS HE TEASED THE COWARDLY WITH EASE;_

_DOODLED AND MADE FUN OF BY_

_THE FOUR MARAUDERS OF HOGWARTS;_

_A JOKE OF FUN, FORGET THE PUCK,_

_WAS SIMPLY HIS PUNISHMENT FOR IT;_

_HI HO LO HERE'S THE LITTLE OLD TROLL,_

_WHO'S HAIR'S AS OILY AS CORN OIL;_

_THUS THE NAME OF THE FAMOUS SNAPE,_

# IS NOTHING BUT A LYING NAME!'

Howlers in shape of songs were rare. The Great Hall stared at it as four voices called, 

'_Hope you enjoyed that, Slimeball! Sincerely, the Magical Mischief-Makers'_

before the howler burst into flames. Snape stared.

The Great Hall burst out laughing, teachers too. A few Slytherins snickered at him as Snape tried to hide under the table. Everyone had expected Dumbledore to go into a mad rage, but surprisingly, he too, laughed whole-heartedly at the incident that was before him. The entrance of the Marauders and four Howlers to Snape had been quite an interesting start to their first day at Hogwarts.

The Marauders crowded over Lily as they bombarded her with questions on how she'd managed to put in their voices without them being there and how she'd managed to compose a song about Snape in such a short time. She merely smirked as she said, 'That isn't just all.' Dumbfounded, the boys asked her what was the ending to the fiasco of Howlers. 'Watch. SEVERUS SNAPE!' Lily yelled to the other side of the Hall.

Snape opened his mouth to answer, but slugs poured out of his mouth at the very moment he opened it. The school stared at him, amused expression on their already amused face. The teachers, hadn't yet cured from the last laugh, turned to Snape and started howling with laughter, Dumbledore in lead. Snape tried to protest, but all that ever came out of his mouth is just slugs, slugs, slugs and more slugs.

'And that,' Lily said happily, 'is the best part!'

The Marauders quite agree with her, too.

Lily had put a hex on the Howler.

The teachers tried to find who had sent those howlers – actually, McGonagall is the only professor who tried – but failed as the Howlers that the Marauders had used were safe-protected and there is no way in finding the culprit. She sighed in defeat at last before allowing herself to smile at the events that had happened that morning. Then, she remembered something.

'Oh, no! I'd to pass the timetables to the Gryffindors!' she shouted quite suddenly, startling the professors who were still dining. The Marauders, sitting quite close to the higher platform, heard her and offered to distribute the timetables for her. Relieved, she handed them the slips as they walked around handing them to Gryffindors according to their appropriate years.

'WHAT? Potions with SLYTHERINS? I can't believe it,' Lily grumbled as she look at her timetable.

'Herbology with Hufflepuff, Astronomy with Ravenclaw, Flying with Ravenclaw. Better them than Slytherin. I'm no potion brewer and the last thing I'd to do is to destroy my potion in front of that slimeball git,' Remus groaned.

'C'mon, Remus. I'll help with your potions. I can easily brew any potion I want,' Sirius offered as Remus gave him a weak smile. 'Thanks, Sirius.'

'What's first? Charms?' James looked over Lily's shoulder at her timetable.

'Yea, better be going now. I wonder if Peeves' in any mood to bomb something? I'd a job for him,' Lily muttered as she gathered herself.

'Oho! Hello Lilydums! Y'called? Ooooh, nice job with the howlers there! Couldn't've given a better compliment!' Peeves screeched, appearing before them. 'Peeves! We thought you'd forgotten about us!' James greeted the poltergeist happily. Peeves merely reply it with a simple water-balloon. Remus sent Peeves hurling around the Great Hall, like a deflated balloon. 'Hey Peeves, mind getting six kids for us?' Sirius asked with a glint in his eyes.

'Those six first years? Sure, I'll get them for ya. B'sides, they told me that the Bloody Baron's after me, those liars,' Peeves said as he floated off, screeching in his high-pitch voice, in search for the six first years who were the Marauders' roommates. Both Peeves and the Marauders were very close to each other. Both liked tricks, jokes and both had a wicked sense of humor. Actually, it was Peeves who'd taken liking to them and had offered them being friends. Peeves is obviously bored being the only mischief-maker in the school, even if he's just a ghost. Billy Martins isn't as daring as they were in pulling pranks and Elley Rittardo simply couldn't do any tricks or her wand'll be confiscated (her family's strict!).

Very soon, four high pitch squeals were heard. 'That's for me. The girls sure must've been scare! Teach them to deal with the Marauders,' Lily said with a satisfied grin. A few minutes later, yells were heard and the boys smiled. 'That's for us! Peeves' good!'

Peeves appeared, moments later, pleased with himself. 'Hey, mind if I take those six for the rest of the year? They're nice victims!' he howled evilly. They smiled at him gratefully and he took it as a yes, yelling and screeching as he toppled the High Tables (where the professors sat) down, sending cries of frantic and fright calling.

AN: Can't think much for this chapter, so it'll just have to stop here. But then again, how much can you write for a chapter titled 'Owl Post'? not much. Besides, I'll be typing up chapter 6, and I need as much time as I can get! Please, review this chapter for me! Please? Or Peeves'll be set upon you! (j/k!) I need reviews! thankies ^_^


	6. Lessons

AN: I can hardly believe it now. Chapter 6? Me? Wow! I _might_ be able to finish year one this year (I will anyway). Romance? Oh, it'll come sometime in year two/three, I'll see. Probably year two ^_^ and why'd I make them kinda evil type? Well, I'm sorta that way when I was 11, so maybe it's my old side taking over? Well, I'd no idea … go on and read it!

_bunny chan_

Disclaimer: Come to think of it, I'd never written this before… okie, you know what belongs to me and what belongs to JKR. This story might have more twist than the original one (is there one?) but hey, it's fanfiction and this storyline is mine! J

The Marauding Five : Year One

**Chapter 6: Lessons**

If only lessons were as interesting as how their morning had started, the first years wouldn't have minded it all that much. 'First lesson, Charms,' Lily muttered to her slip of timetable, as if scolding it for Charms being the first lesson. Sirius rolled his eyes at her. 'Lily, you can't change it by staring at it,' he pointed out to her. 'If I could, wouldn't I be doing it now? If I could, we wouldn't even have any lessons with the measly Slytherins, let alone Severus Snape. If I could, wouldn't I be heading off for-' Sirius cut, 'Okay, I get the message, no need to keep ranting! Now, come to think of it, I wouldn't want to be your Charms partner this year if you rant every morning of the year like today.'

'Well, I certainly didn't invite you to,' Lily scowled at her friend. James and Remus were getting their school bags packed – with Dungbombs, Filibusters Fireworks, no doubt – in their dorm. Lily simply tucked all her Gram had gave her (but the Wizard Chess) into her robes, feeling that she need to use them on the Slytherins. 'Not a morning person, are you? I think I'll better go with Remus or James for Charms. You can partner one of those nosey girls in your dorm if you want,' Sirius said as he raced off to the Charms classroom before Lily had a chance to hit him.

Lily scowled again. Pulling a face, she tried to find her way to the Charms classroom. Sirius knew the place, but had dashed off without her, leaving her completely helpless in the large castle. She looked at the time, only to find that she have only fifteen minutes left before the first class starts. She stepped into a dead end twice and had nearly got tricked by the paintings on the seventh floor when Nearly Headless Nick found her roaming near Divination Tower. He gladly led Lily to the Charms corridor before bidding her goodbye.

Lily thanked the Gryffindor house ghost and walked into the class, just as her name was called – or rather, squeaked out: 'Evans, Lily!'

'Present,' Lily grumbled as she plopped down on one of the empty seats. There were quite a lot of empty places, as half the house hadn't yet arrived. James and Remus burst in as soon as Lily sat in her chair, next to a grinning Sirius. They muttered a hurried apology to the short teacher (Lily suspects him to be an elf, being so short and squeaky) as they sat next to Lily and Sirius.

'Professor Flitwick sure is small!' Sirius whispered to James, who sat to his right. James nodded in response. Lily just glared at him. 'Someone's not a morning person. Anyone'd think that you'd missed the commotion during breakfast, Lily!' Remus patted at her. 'Well, we'll be learning some simple charms this year. Charms are one of the very interesting subjects, as they were mostly used in our lives,' Professor Flitwick squeaked from his place at the top of thick, dusty Charm books. Lily giggled at this, as Sirius sighed in relief. 'Look! Lily's back! She's back! She's giggling!' Sirius announced happily as he thumped the red head on her back. Lily hiccoughed and coughed.

'I'd appreciate it if you never do that, Sirius,' Lily said pointedly, a hurt look on her face and a sad voice. 

'She's definitely back now! How about a celebration, James?' 

'Yep!'

James and Remus dug into their bags, and just as Lily had suspected, they'd brought Dungbombs with them along with fifteen Filibuster's Fireworks. Ignoring Flitwick's squeaks about the excellence of Charms, they quickly plant a few Dungbombs around, lighted some fireworks and set them off as soon as Flitwick finished his speech.

Fireworks fired around the room and the Dungbombs helped in clouding them. Half the class cried out in amazement and most, in frustration as the fireworks whizzed past them and the dungbombs sent an odor scent into the classroom. Flitwick squealed out frighteningly at a bursting firework, sending beautiful shimmers of stars at them. 'What sort of fireworks did you use?' Lily asked, amused. 'We'd given Filibuster's Fireworks an enhancing touch. Beautiful, isn't it?' James said happily as he watched the commotion going on.

When it finally ended, Flitwick showed the class an interesting charm when he tapped his wand on Terry Putmorey's cat, Oogles, as she went zooming around the classroom, calling in terrified mews. The class watch in eagerness. All, but the four Marauders. Sirius simply yawned and Remus looked ready to doze off. Upset, Professor Flitwick turned his attention to them.

'May I know, Miss Evans, Misters Potter, Black and Lupin, did you see the charm used on the kitten just now?' Flitwick squeaked angrily. Lily simply turned at him and replied, 'Well, it's just too simple.'

He gasped as well as the rest of the class.

'How, may I know, Miss Evans, that it might be "too simple"? You shall learn it only in later classes. I shall not tolerate any of these nonsense, Miss Evans.'

'Well, professor, it's simple because we can do it, too.'

'Mr Black, I don't see how you could do it without learning even the basics first,' Flitwick said angrily to them.

'But professor, we could!'

'Mr Lupin, how can you prove that when I had hardly even start teaching yet?'

'Simple, professor.'

'Mr Potter, how is this "simple" meant to be put? Five points from Gryffindor, _each.'_

The Gryffindors in the class groaned as the Slytherins snickered; but the Marauders just looked amused at this.

'Sir, if we prove that we can do this, can you please not take any points?' Lily asked the tiny professor.

'Why, if you could do that, I'd not only not take any points, but I shall award you with them! I don't think you could do so, though, so twenty points will be taken from Gryffindor,' Flitwick said. No one in his class had managed to learn charms easily, as it's one of the hardest subjects. So, the little teacher is sure that no students will be able to do it; not until they'd learned the basics. 'Back to class!'

The Gryffindors glared at the Marauders, who grinned, as they pulled their wands out. Each tapped on their schoolbags before muttering '_Wingardium Leviosa', sending their bags hurling around the classroom eagerly. The bags came to a rest just in front of Flitwick, who stared at them in amazement._

The class began to cheer, Gryffindor the loudest, as the four stepped up modestly and bowed before returning to their seats in the front row.

'Well I never! Ten points to Gryffindor, each,' Flitwick squealed happily as Gryffindor erupted in cheers and the Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs stared at the four in disbelief. The four friends grinned happily, glad to be able to earn points for Gryffindor.

'And we thought Charms are a bore! If I knew that we were to win 10 points each in here, I'd never even think of that,' Remus exclaimed happily to Lily. 'Thanks to Lily and James, the brains of the Marauders, who taught us all those,' Sirius said grinning as Lily and James looked pleased with themselves. 'Who'd ever thought that we'd be this smart here? So much smarter than in Muggle school,' Lily said happily. The four definitely had talents in magic, and had used one of them to win forty points to Gryffindor.

Snape scowled angrily at them from the corner of the room as Flitwick proceeded to teach the class the basics.

Charms passed peacefully and the bell rang, signifying the next lesson as Flitwick squeaked, '-and do an essay on the important uses of charms in our lives, five rolls of parchments!' The class groaned.

James pulled out his timetable. Their next lesson was History of Magic.

Sirius led them to the classroom, passing the Fat Friar who grinned at them, and stepping twice on the trick stair. At least, Sirius did. The others avoided it as soon as Sirius got caught. At last, they pulled open the door, labeled in peeling gray letters, History of Magic. Lily's first thought of the room was that it smelled like something had rot in it. Apparently, so did the other Marauders, because the four automatically draw their robes to their noses as they walked in.

They were taking out their books when the other houses stream in, taking their places. The Marauders had chosen the front seats once again. James had said, 'They said that the most dangerous place is the safest and the other way round. So when people thought that the front row is the most dangerous, as it's always "under a teacher's eye", they stayed away from there and joined the back row. The back row, however, is a teacher's target, as notes were usually passed and it gives the teachers opportunities to take house points away. Where else, us lucky things in the front row get half the attention, thus are more free to pass notes and play tricks.' The Marauders agreed to this.

A ghostly figure came through the walls. Professor Binns, a ghost teacher of Hogwarts, appeared to have troubles getting his hands in. He was, in fact, holding a solid tabloid containing the student's names. Forgetting that the tabloid is solid, he'd come through the walls, only to realize his mistake when he reached the class. Binns scowled at it as he went out again and in, this time through the door, holding a tabloid in his pearl white hands. He took their attendance without a murmur and had wasted no time in jumping straight to teaching them. The class, who expected fun and giggles just like in Charms, were disappointed at the fact that this teacher gave no chance in explaining his subject straight off.

James woke up from his snooze. This was his first time sleeping in class, and he looked rather shock at what might Binns say or how will the class react. Turning to his friends, he almost laughed at the sight that greeted him. Lily who sat next to him was trying to keep herself awake, but her nodding head kept falling sideways. Sirius, sitting next to Lily was already sleeping with a peaceful look on his face, mouth slightly ajar as Remus was leaning with his chins on the table, his eyelids feeling heavy. Lily had given up struggling and had dropped her head over his shoulders, her flaming red hair that were unclipped falling all over her face.

James turned to the ghost, who went on ranting, unbeknownst to the sight of the sleeping class. James again, felt the urge of falling back to sleep and this time, let it take over his tired mind. His head fell over Lily's as he slumped over.

Sirius woke up moments after, staring groggily at the professor. Good, that old ghost still hadn't noticed that the class was sleeping. Time for another sleep in-, Sirius' thoughts were cut off as he turned to lie back down. Lily had her head on James' shoulder, a content look on her face as James was leaning over her head, asleep with a peaceful look. Sirius grinned at the sight, rummaged his bag for a camera he usually kept and took it with a silent snap. As he heard the film rolling to the next one, he grinned happily. A good picture for them to remember when they're older, he said to himself.

The class sat up as the shrill ring of the bell told them that the lesson is over. Everyone pulled themselves back into positions as Binns said, 'I'd like essays on the Gereweld Goblins, at least two parchments long.' The class shifted uncomfortably, for no one had listened to anything Binns had said but a Ravenclaw girl, Anna Hopkinns.

The students stuttered towards their common room in their respective houses as the Marauders stumbled into the library to do their essays. Grumbling, Lily pulled out her parchment, quill, inkbottle and her History of Magic books before walking towards the subject's section in the library to grab more books. Hopkinns was there, looking at the books with an earnest expression as she pulled out copies after copies of different books.

Lily looked at her in amazement before starting to pull out appropriate copies. Unlike the Ravenclaw, who had a pile of high-stacked books, Lily only took a handful before settling down to write her essay.

'Right. Gereweld Goblins said "Gereweld" every time they start a sentence,' James said as Lily took in the points.

'Not to forget they speak in limericks,' Remus pointed out.

'They are always dressed in green,' Sirius mumbled.

'And they are short, ugly, goblins.'

'Got them. We need more, though,' Lily said as she added another point: They lived in the north part of Scotland.

'The were first seen in 1468-'

'August the fifteen-'

'At five in the evening-'

'In front of muggles-'

'At the quiet village of Gereweld.'

'And they're goblins,' James finished triumphantly.

'Of course they are! They're called Gereweld Goblins, aren't they?'

'Well, I thought Binns mightn't know that bit.'

'They have high voices.'

'Like Flitwick.'

'They have beady eyes.'

'Like Peeves.'

'They have yellow, snarling teeth.'

'Like Snape.'

'They had unruly black hair,' Lily put in.

'Like me - HEY!' James hissed at her as the others fell down laughing.

'Tricked, aren't you?'

'Whatever.'

'We'd better just write down what we have. We just need to write the essays with a big handwriting, and we'd have reached two pages even by the first two words!' Lily exclaimed happily as she pulled out her parchment, writing 'GEREWELD' in the first parchment, and 'GOBLINS' in the other.

'There! Just that easy,' Lily grinned, holding up her work to admire.

'I vote we write a full essay as backups and send these words to Binns. If he didn't realize it, we're in luck. If he does, we'll just hand in the backups,' Sirius said eagerly as they agreed to it. They wrote two words on the first two parchments – Gereweld Goblins – as they wrote a long essay on the next two. Pleased, they went on with their charms.

They had no problem in charms as Lily had turned out to be a recording video, reciting everything that Flitwick had said in his class.

'Why didn't you do so in the history of magic?'

'Because that ghost is just too boring to listen to. I need to listen to that person to be able to parrot everything off,' Lily said with a wave of her hand.

They sat for a short rest, until the bell went off again, signifying their classes of Transfiguration. The Marauders scrambled off quickly and ran towards the Transfiguration class, almost clashing with McGonagall on their way.

Transfiguration proved to be one of the most interesting classes they'd attended, besides charms. They were given simple things to transfigure into after McGonagall's long and boring lecture. No one really paid her any attention, but Lily had her parroted as soon as she's done. The Marauders were really glad about that, as McGonagall soon assigned them homework and Lily had memorized exactly everything she'd said.

Near the end of the lessons, they were given each a match to transfigure into a needle. James, Sirius and Lily breezed past easily as Remus had trouble making his needle pointier. Thomas DeAnne of Hufflepuff managed to transfigure his match, but it had a very blunt end and a part of it is still in the color of the brown match. McGonagall awarded 4 points to those who are able to transfigure their match into needle.

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Remus proved himself the best of all with his vast knowledge of dark arts and ways to counter them. Professor Corn was very happy about having a very intelligent student (it seems like he hadn't one in years) in his class that he awarded Gryffindor five points.

So all in all, the Marauders had an eventful day.

The next day, however, was classes with another individual house and the Gryffindor's first lesson was no other than Potions with the Slytherins. The Gryffindor first years groaned inwardly at that. Everyone knows that Gryffindor and Slytherin had been enemies for centuries long, each trying to win the other. When it was heard that Professor Halley, the head of Slytherin, was the potions master, even more groans were heard.

Just our luck to have a class with _SLYTHERIN_ and the potions master turned out to be a _SLYTHERIN_, Remus thought grumpily to himself. He really didn't want to think what will happen if he blew up his potions. But then again, Sirius is a good potion brewer and had offered to be his partner, so he's in safe hands; unless Sirius had decided to add extra ingredients.

The Marauders finished their breakfast early as they went in search for the Potions room.

Nearly Headless Nick pointed them to a dark dungeon. Lily screwed her nose at the smell in there as they walked into the dungeons. Sirius threw the door open and the Marauders sat themselves in the front row again. The Slytherins were already there and they threw nasty glances at the Gryffindors. Remus paled slightly.

More Gryffindors walked in as Severus Snape greeted them in his oily voice. He threw hateful glances at the Marauders as James said loudly, not bothering to lower his voice, 'See, I told you he'd be our enemy! So I was right at the train!'

The Marauders laughed in agreement as Lily proceeded.

'Gram says that she used to fight with a Snape, too, in her days in Hogwarts. So did mother. Looks like I'm just carrying the fight on,' Lily said in her childish voice as she pretended to tut sadly.

Gryffindor laughed at Lily's childish voice of an innocent's and they turned to stare daggers at Snape.

'Also, Gram sent me a few things that she said I might need in facing some people,' Lily continued, pulling out a book. Snape stared at it as he'd stared at the Howler yesterday at breakfast.

'What's that book?' Severus asked in a quivering voice.

'Can't you see? It's just a book to throw on you,' Lily replied casually as she arranged her cauldrons on the table.

'Is it a biting book?' Severus asked, clearly shaking already.

James, Sirius and Remus rolled their eyes.

'Yeah, it is. Interested in being our tester? We were currently looking for someone to test with you know,' James said, just as a blonde haired witch, in her twenties and in purple black robes swept in.

'Test what on, Potter?' Professor Halley asked with a cheeky smile. Lily noticed that she didn't look at all like a Slytherin. In fact, she look more like a witch in another house; any house but Slytherin.

'Professor, Evans has a biting book! It's in her hands,' Severus said, panicking as the rest of the Slytherins joined him at the wall at the mention of the biting book.

'Is that true, Evans?'

'Sorry Prof, but it seems like Severus had gone bonkers in his mind. Missing the top deck, see what I mean? Look! The book's only my potions textbook!' Lily said as she showed the book to Halley, who tutted in disapproval. Meanwhile, the class had burst into peals of laughter.

'Snape, you should've known better than to frame a student. Five points from Slytherin,' Halley said as she raised to tap her wand.

Snape flushed red as he glared at the smirking Marauders with absolute loathing.

'Class, I will teach you the --' Professor Halley started as the class began to take notes as they start brewing a simple potion of the Shrinking Solution.

Sirius had thrown a firecracker and Lily had poured in some of the powder from one of the many of them that her Gram had gave her the previous day into Snape's cauldron when he wasn't looking. Snape was flirting with another Slytherin student when she screamed at him. Snape turned, only to find his potion, which is supposed to be acid green, had turned into a horrid color of a sick Cornish pixie.

He let out a small yelp as the firecracker chose that very moment to explode, showering the potions' contents on everyone. Some of its contents hit a few students, who turned to look older than eleven. The Slytherins near Snape had taken fully of the potion's effect and had started to look older than Professor Dumbledore when Halley cried out in dismay.

'Severus Snape! Just what had you added into your potion? Fifteen points off Slytherin!'

Lily and Sirius did a secret high-five at each other as everyone burst out laughing at Severus. He had gotten a full blow of the Aging Potion, and had looked like he was about to tumble any moment now. A great, white beard had grown on his pointed chin and wrinkles had appeared on his skin. His pale skin had turned into a color of sour milk and his knees were shaking.

Halley called out to those who'd been hitten by the potion and cure them as the Marauders howled in the background. Snape looked like a thousand-year-old man and could barely even stand. Halley had to walked over to him and poured a whole cauldron full of the Youth Potion on him before he can revert back to his nasty self.

Potions had been a very interesting lesson on that day.

The other subjects went by easily for the rest of them. Herbology with Professor Sprout (Lily commented that her name was taken from a bean sprout) and Astronomy with Professor Sinistra. However, the most interesting lesson of all was Flying Lessons.

The Gryffindors had Flying Lessons with Ravenclaws and the Marauders were looking forward for this lesson ever since yesterday. They waited eagerly at the Quidditch pitch as broomsticks were strewn all over. Careful not to step on them, (Billy had told them that the broomsticks would go ballistic) they slowly made their way to Madam Hooch.

Dan accidentally trod on one's tail and the broomstick had taken it as an insult of disrespect for broomsticks as it hit Dan hard on his back until Madam Hooch called it off. The broomstick did a sort of huff and 'looked' angrily at Dan before laying back stiffly onto the ground.

'Now, class, stick out your right hand and call "UP!"' Hooch instructed.

'UP!'

All the broomsticks had jumped from the grounds and flew to each person's hands.

Dan's didn't come. It was still lying stiffly on the ground.

Sita's had rolled off halfway in midair, and she is now trying to convince it to get up.

Lily, James, Sirius and Remus' flew straight into their hands.

'Now, mount on it.'

'No, you're doing it wrong, Perttingham! Your right hand over- yes. McMillan, _mount_ on it, not _step_ on it! You'll be-'

'Ah! Very good, Potter, Evans, Black, Lupin! Perfect positioning, too.'

'Hopkinns! It's the other way round!'

Hooch's clear voice cut and went on until she was really satisfied with everyone's positioning. When she blew her whistles, everyone kicked out and flew to the air. Dan's broom was trying to dismount him midair, sending the boy in frights.

Lily rushed up into the air with a wondrous feeling. She had managed to control her broom easily, unlike many others. She watched as James and Sirius did the loop-the-loops in the air happily and tried doing so, after biting a huge amount of nail and gasping deep breaths. Soon, she was happily looping-the-loops with James and Sirius in the air. Remus had decided that it'd made him sick just by leaving the ground and had landed as soon as possible, despite Hooch's praises saying that he's a good flyer.

**

The days went by as the Marauders excelled in their studies, played tricks on Severus, insult Filch and Mrs Norris, played more tricks and insults Severus. They'd taken it as a usual routine to send as many Howlers as they can to Severus, changing into a different owl every now and then so that he wouldn't suspect who sent them.

They'd always sent him Howlers with hexes (courtesy of James and Lily's brilliance), shampoos (Sirius supplied them) and interesting words (chosen well by Remus). Every now and then, a song would come bursting by at any moment from the howler and Lily made sure that it had always had something to do with Snape; from his family line, all the way to his unscrubbed ears.

Peeves had helped them a great deal, by taking the six annoying first years from them. Now, the six had no interest in dealing with any of the Marauders, afraid that Peeves would be after them once again and hated the Marauders for their arrogance and intelligence. They kept to themselves and wouldn't stay in the same room with them if they could help it. If Peeves weren't after them, the Marauders were. Countless of nose-biting teacups had bite their noses and they were always bashed by the Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The Marauders had made their name by the attention they drew by playing tricks on Snape, Filch and Mrs Norris, the few most hated people of Hogwarts. Their fame grew as they excel in their studies, earning them the top marks for everything.

Lily Evans, the red head with a flaming temper to match it, a pair of stunning emerald green eyes, ranked highly as the prettiest girl in Hogwarts, one of the smartest witches ever seen in her age, witty and cheeky. A genius in almost everything and second in her form.

James Potter, famous for his good looks, cheeky grin, bright and a quick-thinking boy. He was easily top of the form, the last time the teachers set an exam on them with Lily coming after him, complaining about his no need to study, yet able to obtain top.

Sirius Black, the mischievious of the lot, running in after Lily Evans. He was always a quick-tongue, always ready to reply and speak his thoughts. Often, his friends would joke about him going to Azkaban because of his daring wits.

Remus Lupin, the most thoughtful of the lot. He's usually the most sensible one of all four and had planned most tactics in their pranks.

The four were always ready to make anyone laugh at any time and was always ready for everything ('and anything. We'd always be up for dares,' Lily said grinning) and they very soon mixed with those of higher years, mostly with the head boy and girl. Everyday in Hogwarts is always a new day as no same things happened at all.

AN: I got pretty bored and had decided to stop here. Besides, it's already pretty long, isn't it? I thought to give those characters a little more character in them, thought it'd spice thing up a little. It isn't a little, uh, exceeding, is it? Well, chapter 7 might be just as long, longer or shorter. I think it might be a wee bit longer (I think, not sure). Please, please review this chapter! I'd taken more than 3 hours of continuous typing and thinking to get this done (although it might be boring)! Thanks again, to those who understand and reviewed. I really don't know how to thank you more! Hope you enjoyed it ^_^


	7. The Giant Squid

AN: Hello, chapter 7!! Well, the part about them being too perfect isn't exactly my idea, but my egoistic part took over my head when I wrote it, so blame it, kay? when I read it over, I find it hard to believe that I actually wrote it… *sigh* forgive me? Please? The title might be abit, um, different from the content, but I'd written the plot before writing the story, so most of the ideas were instant addition, as they'd come to me now. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep some parts of the plot. Now I present you, Chapter 7: The Giant Squid.

_bunny chan_

The Boring Part: TMF's storyline and plot belongs to me. Everything that's mine is mine and everything that's JKR's is hers. Does that make any sense?

The Marauding Five : Year One

**Chapter 7: The Giant Squid**

The days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Soon, the cold November greeted Hogwarts with its chilling cold air and students were packing back. The Marauders had stayed back because the Evans, Blacks, Potters and Lupins had decided to take a trip to the east, a break and a peaceful change from their mischievous kids. Only them and a couple of other seventh years who were studying for their NEWTs and need some peace were left behind. The Marauders had chosen that time to find the secrets of the school, as there were no students left, save the seventh years, but they didn't care whatever the Marauders did as long as they were out of it.

Now that the Marauders had no Snape to go after (he went back, to get away from them and go to his darling mother), they (the seventh years) should have their peaceful time to study, but no, the mischief-makers had targeted _them_ for their Christmas fun. Dungbombs, stink pellets, Filibuster's Fireworks and Rocketing Rashes were planted in common rooms, the Great Hall and their dorms. Every now and then, an Ever-Bashing Boomerang or a Fanged Frisbee would come crashing onto their head and Jumping Beanstalks are planted just everywhere in the castle, leaving no peace. Nose-biting Teacups were always biting their noses when they tried drinking from them every morning in the breakfast and Ton-tongue Toffee were planted in their food, giving them a shock when their tongues shot out of their mouth, a few feet longer than normal. Lily had taken interest in drawing and had drawn on their robes with the Invisible Paint, leaving their robes full of 'holey' paintings. The seventh years were experiencing the worst time of their lives, simply by staying back in the holidays instead of joining their families at home.

The Marauders, however, were having the time of their lives, sending the castles in fits. Teachers were frightened out of their wits and the seventh years were thinking of living in a coffin than stay with them. The four had found them very interesting, as they gave them full response to all of their pranks and had decided to continue teasing them. Sirius who was teaching Lily how to paint enjoyed pulling robes from the seventh year dorms and leaving a few Dungbombs behind as a 'thank you for borrowing your robes' sign. James had transfigured all the comfy couches in the Gryffindor Common Room into huge, meat-eating and very hungry Polar Bears from South Pole. Remus practised hexes on almost everyone he saw, leaving them with Madam Pomfrey, who is the school nurse in the Hospital Wing.

Professor McGonagall had issued them more detentions than everyone in the school put together, and had ran out of ideas on what to send them off with in their next detention. She'd asked them to scrub the Great Hall with tiny toothbrushes, wash _all_ the castle windows, made them help all the professors think of new lessons to teach to the fifth years, clean the trophies, restore the Fat Lady (Mrs Norris scratched her), clean the corridors and had even sent them to the Forbidden Forest for a day. They had done all of it eagerly and had managed them fabulously. The Great Hall was now bright, the castle windows shone like stars when the sun rises, the professors all had ways to make the classes interesting whilst teaching along with new lessons ideas, the trophies had glistened and is painful to look at, the Fat Lady was restored beautifully in a new canvas, the corridors are dust-free and the Forbidden Forest had seemed to have no effect, as they were more than eager to return again. McGonagall was now stuck at what else to issue them for their next few detentions. She hadn't even thought of another before they started their pranks again.

'Y'know, McGonagall's taking the time of her life to issue us our detentions. I can't wait for the next one!' James said eagerly as he dropped on a polar bear who in turn, tried to snap his head off. James merely pushed a Dungbomb into his opening mouth as it burst, the white bear shocked as it turned black at that very moment, the side effect of the Dungbomb.

'I bet she'd forgotten all about them,' Sirius said gloomily.

'Well, I think she ran out of ideas,' Remus pointed out.

'I think she need our help. C'mon, it's already our 387th detention slip and she hadn't told us what our 258th one was! Come to think of it, it's already 129 times since she'd forgotten our detention!' Lily wailed, plopping down next to James. This time, the bear did nothing but cower uncomfortably.

'Don't you think it's time to pay her another visit?'

'Naah! No point unless she issues another detention.'

'Well, there's always a prank that we can pull.'

'Such as? Lily, all our tricks were used and McGonagall had already ransacked the castle for the hidden ones in the pots, corridors and all! Hello – just where had you been fifteen years ago?'

'I hadn't existed yet.'

'Right. So explain, what prank can we pull?'

'Gram sent me Something.'

'What?'

'Something.'

'Yea, but what is this "something"?'

'It's a Something!'

'Lil', mind telling us what this something is?'

'No, James. Of course I'll be telling, idiot! Like I'd said, it's a boxful of Something!'

'Okay Lily, this is one stupid question: What is this something?'

'At least Remus understands.'

'Understand what? I'm just as clueless as James and Sirius.'

'You never heard of Something?'

'NO! Tell us, Lily.'

'Can a no do?'

'No no can do.'

'Well, I won't tell you what Something is, but Gram says that I can only show. She just refer to it as a Something as it's always a different thing.'

'Okay…'

'And she'd sent me a few boxes of them. Says will be good for the whole school.'

'You didn't say your Gram was a Mischief-Maker.'

'Did I not? I remembered saying it on September the fifteenth, at about four in the evening. 'Course, you boys were too busy pigging in to listen.'

'Sorry.'

'Sorry? Sorry? That's all you can say for not listening to me? What sort of Marauder are you, Remus? We don't say sorry!' Lily screeched loudly as the seventh years frowned inwardly, but say nothing. James had a handful of Dungbombs by his side and Lily was carrying what seem like packets of powders. Sirius always had a pocketful of Screeching Spiders and Remus had his wand, giving him a good chance to use a hex on them.

'Well, what are we supposed to say then?'

'Try "I'm just too important to listen to your talking, Lily the smartest of the Hogwarts Marauders, the most cunning of them and the brains of the group." It isn't an exact lie, too, as I _am_ the brains of Marauders and I'm quite cunning, too. Besides, I wouldn't be offended if a Marauder say this. We need our dignity, you know.'

'Right. Mind taking out that "most cunning" section? You're cunning, yes, but not the most. Sirius is.'

Sirius bowed happily.

Remus started memorizing the line. Very straight, Lily said to herself. Remus had memorized almost all when James said to Lily, 'Don't you think you could spare him on that? It'd pass, so why not let it be?' Lily gave it a thought and decided that Remus shouldn't have to say it, as she'd known what she'd hear anyway. Remus groaned.

'Next time, decide earlier so as your friend here will not have to suffer.'

'Pardon, Remus? Friend?'

'Then what am I?'

'Well, I'd always thought you were one of my best friends, but if you want it changed, I could always do-'

'Okay okay, _best_ friend.'

'Lily's hard to please, don't you think?'

'Naah. Lupin, she's just too bored.'

'I vote we go see whatever that something is.'

'Point taken. Let's go!'

Sirius pulled Lily and James up as the four rushed from the common room and into the girls' dorm. The seventh years heave a sigh of relief as they went back to studying. Only Billy and Elley grinned, glad to have a – wait, it's _four_ – mischief-maker to brighten the school up. The others merely shove them the title 'Out-Of-Mind'.

The first year girls' dorm was no difference from the boys', except that only Lily is sleeping in it alone. Despite that fact, the dorm looked almost like the boys'. Clothes, robes, and several socks were flying on their own, playing a game of catch when Lily opened the door. Lily waved her wand and they fell down, silent. Hair brushes were strewn everywhere as scrunchies and ribbons lay on the dressing table. Lily's books were scattered around in odd places and rolls of parchments sat on them, a few quills lay on them with spilled inkbottles. Her room is certainly full even if she lived there alone.

Lily shoved away some of her things off her bed as she muttered something to her bed. The boys looked on as the bed turned over, revealing a big trunk under it. Lily bent over as she unlocked it, throwing many tricks out of it. Dungbombs, fireworks, yo-yos, teacups, several unused Howlers, packets of glimmering powder – everything joined Lily's things on the floor. Lily emptied the trunk (it seemed bottomless) until she pulled out a few boxes from right underneath. She shove everything back in except for one box. Proudly holding it after locking her trunk of tricks, she grinned at the boys.

'THIS, is the Something Gram called. She said she doesn't know it's name, but she reckons they'd got one for it now,' Lily said happily. She went to a dark corner in her cupboard, opened it quickly before pulling one (they were unsure), placed it in the cupboard before pulling out quickly and closing it tight, the box closed again, held firmly in her hands. 'Now, who'd like the honor to try it out?' Lily grinned.

'We'll go together,' Sirius shrugged.

'But oh, we're supposed to go alone!'

'Then I'll go.'

James stepped up and faced the cupboard.

'Well, you boys can stand farther away,' Lily grinned as Sirius as Remus moved behind her. James stood facing the cupboard as if he's in a duel, trembling nervously. Sweat was already wetting his face. Lily pulled the cupboard doors open as a McGonagall came out saying, 'Oh, how sweet! Another prank! I just simply loved pranks! You're awarded with a trophy!'

'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

James looked terrified.

'McGonagall? _LOVE_ pranks? TROPHY FOR PULLING A PRANK?? What's _she_ doing there anyway???' James exclaimed, shock written in his face.

'Uh, James? Y'okay?'

'Yes, I'm really fine; McGonagall had always loved pranks and will award us with a trophy for every prank pulled. Are you nuts?? Of course I'm not okay! Why's she there anyway?' James demanded impatiently.

'Geez, James, I think you should rest,' Sirius said as he led him to Lily's bed (it's without any junk). He sat down, looking terrified for a moment before calming down.

'Just what is it anyway? Why's she there?'

'I don't know, James. I think it's a boggart.'

'A what? Gram didn't know it's name.'

'A boggart. Dark places, frighten people. Some of it's traits.'

'You're good, Remus.'

'Thank you.'

'How about Sirius facing it? I'm eager to know what he's afraid of!'

'Dream on, James.'

'But I want to know too!'

'Not a chance, Lily.'

'Vote given.'

'Sorry Remus.'

'Too bad. Do it or I'll turn you into a boggart yourself.'

Sirius gulped and walked to the cupboard. Lily opened it again.

This time, a black haired woman walked out of it, her brown eyes gleaming through it's softness as her hair wafted around her face like Sirius'. She walked towards Sirius – no, _stomp_ toward Sirius, as she pointed a finger at him. 'SIRIUS BLACK! WHAT HAD YOU DONE AGAIN, BURSTING MRS THOMPSON'S GARDEN INTO TINY SHREDS! I INSIST YOU RESTORE THAT THIS INSTANCE! IN THE MEANTIME, YOU WILL GET NO LUNCH AND DINNER TODAY!'

James, Remus and Lily stared on.

'You're afraid of your mother?'

'No.'

'You're afraid of getting no food?'

'Bingo. My stomach's bottomless, and if anyone starve me, I'd die straight off.'

'Sirius, afraid of getting no food? Wow, we'd to tell the school to starve you!'

'Shut up, Lily. It's Remus' turn.'

'Oh, right.'

'Remus?'

'Fine, I get your message.'

Lily turned the boggart to Remus who sat on Lily's bed, calm and collected. The boggart turned into a hanging white orb in the sky.

'Yep. Just as I'd thought. The moon. Hey Remus, how'd you managed to transform these days?'

'Dumbledore got me a place.'

'That's good. I hope that you hadn't been biting yourself,' Lily raised an eye on him.

Remus shook his head quickly.

'Good.'

'Lily's turn.'

'Right, but don't be disappointed, kay?'

'What's there to be disappointed? I mean, surely you don't have a fear? Everyone has.'

'Just don't.'

'Fine.'

They threw the white orb at Lily, which burst with a pop and turned into nothing.

'Where's it?' Sirius asked as he looked around the room.

'Gone. Disappeared.'

'Lily, what's your fear?'

'Told you not to get disappointed.'

'Okay, so what is it?'

'I was afraid of boggarts extinct. He simply just did that.'

'Interesting.'

'Hey, who'd want boggarts to extinct? I mean, just look at it's effect on you guys! It was simply just too much fun!'

'Point taken.'

'What about the plan on planting this in McGonagall's office?'

'Time to start the mission!'

The four walked out of the girls' dorm, surprising a couple of seventh years who were on their way to their dorms. Lily was carrying a box, and they'd assumed that it was surely a box of tricks and never ran off to complain.

The Marauders threw open the doors to McGonagall's office, not caring whether the teacher is there or not. She is not.

Lily went to her cupboard (which is a glass one) and planted a boggart there, careful not to let the boys or herself linger too long with it. But then again, they were in groups, so the boggart couldn't do anything. They hid themselves in the shadows behind the cupboard, just as McGonagall walked in, muttering something about detention ideas. The professor turned to her cupboard to retrieve a book, and when she opened it, she went berserk and start screaming loudly. The Marauders, curious at what it is, ran from their hiding place to look at the boggart. It had turned into a woman. A banshee, in fact. Just as she was about to let out her howls, McGonagall had cried, '_Riddikulus_!' at it, changing it into small spider. Sirius yelped at this.

The Marauders howled over with laughter. McGonagall stared bitterly at them. She turned to her door. To her horror, the whole school had stood there with an amused look on their faces. Albus Dumblemore was looking at the running spider with a high interest, amusement clearly written on his face. McGonagall turned pink with embarassment and soon, purple with anger. The Marauders laughed at the change of her face and doubled over. The school, satisfied, had left, leaving Dumbledore and the Marauders.

'Now, Minerva, if a boggart's bugging, I don't see the reason of screaming loudly,' the old wizard started, staring at the Marauders with amusement as they roll on the floor, clutching tightly at their sides. 'Professor. The boggart. Banshee. Frightened. Potter. Evans. Black. Lupin. Detention,' McGonagall managed to stutter. The Marauders had now calmed down and were looking at their teacher eagerly.

'Now, now, Minnie, you'd given us too much detentions. 129 of them hadn't been punished yet. Are you adding to that amount? It'll make a total of 130 detentions to think of for us!' James said as he tutted. 'Twenty points from Gryffindor,' McGonagall snapped.

'Well, actually we're just paying you a visit as you owed us detentions. C'mon, Minnie, you surely hadn't forgotten us? Not with the detentions you'd issued these days and those pranks,' Lily tutted as she shook her head in disappointment, ignoring the fuming woman.

'Minnie, you can take as many points as you want from Gryffindor. All, if you want, but us kids want detentions! When are you giving us our 130 ones?' Sirius whined.

'That's right, Minnie. You were grumbling about detentions for us before screaming at the boggart. So, what do we do? Help the professors again? Go into the Forbidden Forest? That'll be cool, as there are loads of fun stuff in there! Unicorns came to us and helped us,' Remus stated eagerly. Unicorns were rarely seen by wizards and witches, and if a unicorn ever came near, it's even rarer. McGonagall stared at them, her eyes boring into their mischievous ones. Dumbledore looked on with a very amused face.

'Do NOT call me "Minnie",' McGonagall snapped coldly at them.

'Now, now, Minnie,' Dumbledore started.

McGonagall glared.

'You should have given them their detentions, than just slips. No points will be taken off Gryffindor.'

The Marauders nodded in agreement.

'And maybe we should send them off with just one detention, in place of the rest? It shall save you from thinking of 130.'

The Marauders groaned.

'But Albus-'

'We don't-'

'Want one-'

'Only!'

'We want-'

'All-'

'Hundred and-'

'Thirty!'

'I didn't know you could finish each other's sentence.'

'A sort of-'

'Talent as-'

'We knew each other-'

'Ever since we were one.'

'Interesting.'

'Thank you.'

The Marauders bowed humbly to the old wizard. McGonagall sniffed.

'Very well, you stay in the Forest for 130 seconds-'

'Days!' McGonagall snapped.

'But they can't lack their lessons.'

'Fine, hours!' McGonagal seemed eager to rid of the Marauders.

'That, will not do. I insist on minutes, then, Minnie.'

McGonagall glared at that; name and detention.

The Marauders groaned. They were looking forward to skipping class, but accept it. A detention is better than none. Happily, they scooped the boggart into Lily's box, just as Dumbledore stopped them again.

'What's in that box?'

'Oh, a thousand of boggarts,' Lily replied simply.

'Who sent it to you?'

'Gram did. She was a mischief-maker in her days. Said mother doesn't like being one, so she passed it to me.'

'Turner, isn't it? Well, she sure was one. She fought with Snape's grandfather. Your mother? She rivaled intelligence with Snape's father. A sort of tradition going on there, isn't it?'

'Right.'

'Can you ask her to send me some? I'm in need for them.'

They looked at Dumbledore in shock.

'Professor, how could that be?' McGonagall started.

'I see you want answers. Well, see, I want something very badly and I'm afraid of it being extinct-' he chuckled softly as Sirius think him something like Lily: afraid of it being extinct. '-but it seems like no one liked it. I wouldn't want to destroy my work, but if a boggart turned into that and let it be extinct, it's just as well as people would think it.'

What he said made no sense to his audience, but Lily gave her word that she'll write to Gram about it. The four ran towards the forest in a hurry, not bothering to pack their things as they ran to the Forbidden Forest after keeping the boggarts.

***

After Five Days…

***

The Marauders walked into the Gryffindor common room, ignoring looks from McGonagall and the seventh years. Despite their stay at the forest without preparing anything – no food, robes or drinks – they were spotless, slightly plump and well cared for. McGonagall seemed shock at that. She'd expected them to burst into the castle (well, they did this) and run straight to the Great Hall for food, looking thin and frail, robes torn and dirt all over, from their days in the forest. She had also expected them to look sorry for themselves, but there they were, giggling and laughing happily as they told the seventh years their experience in the forest. She shook her head. 'Now what am I to give them for detention if not even the forest can stop them?' McGonagall moaned to herself.

True to what they'd said, the unicorns and the forest creatures had helped them, though the centaurs were a little confusing at first. Remus had managed to capture their attention with his interest in stars and they'd chatted for a long time. The owls brought them food, the unicorns find them shelter in a small cave, and elves and pixies had stuffed them fully each midnight feast. The four enjoyed themselves and after that, had constantly begged McGonagall to send them to the forest as detentions.

Maybe it was them being out-going and friendly, or their mysterious aura to attract these magical creatures and fairy folk, the school had not known. The Marauders kept it a secret among themselves and acted as if they knew all about it, but it's actually the other way round.

They were sure that no magical creatures, especially unicorns, would come near someone, unless that person had a very strong aura to attract them and gain their confidence. They were puzzled at it, but shook it off as they were always together and it would be really hard to find out who was that person.

Each day after, McGonagall and the seventh years suffered the torture of the Marauders, as they kept collecting more and more detention slips. Very soon, they had a thousand. They threw a party, celebrating it in the Great Hall. Fireworks were set and the Great Hall was decorated one morning in breakfast. A scarlet ribbon with gold sides formed a banner stating 'The Marauders Had A Thousand Detentions!'. Lily had called the house-elves to cook a huge feast, as they kiss the ground she walked on and danced in happiness.

The seventh years and teachers were pleased at this. Well, all but McGonagall, but she ate her food with a smile on her face. Dumbledore had added to the celebration by sending glimmering stars everywhere. Sirius, over-excited, cladded everyone in elves' robes with his wand. Everyone celebrated happily in their leafy robes with a huge lily flower as a hat. Lily used a charm to make their food and themselves hover in the air, sending glees of delights and a very happy squeal from Flitwick. James had transfigured some stones into small, squealing pixies and they dance around the Hall in delight. Remus did a simple spell to produce music as Dumbledore conducted it, much to everyone's delight and amusement.

The day passed with more excitements, more pranks, more feasts and more – well, everything. The castle – even Filch – went to bed, happy at the day's events.

The next morning, Lily awoke with Lotus hooting excitedly from the window. She got up and pulled her owl in, wishing it a merry christmas. Lotus nibbled her affectionately in response before flying off. Lily look at the foot of her bed, expecting to find presents. But to her disappointment, there were none. Lily sighed. Maybe everyone had forgotten about her. She said something about tricks to pull to let off her disappointment when a bundle of presents knocked her from the ceiling.

Lily scrambled out of them as she looked up at the ceiling, wondering if the boys were there. No one. Nothing. Gram must've put a charm on all her presents, Lily say to herself as she sorted them out. One from Gram, from the Blacks, from her parents, from the Potters, from the Lupins, James, Sirius, Remus, Billy, Elley, Petunia (it's just a letter), Gram, James, Sirius and Remus again.

Lily'd decided to open her sister's one first. She found a small note stating _Have a bad Christmas, Freak_. Lily's relation with her horse-faced sister isn't good. Finding out that she's a squib sure is the worst thing that could happen to her. She threw the note away. She hadn't anything for Petunia either, as she'd sent her a cursed Howler. Lily giggled at what will she think of about it. She turned to Billy's present. Deciding that she should open it with the boys, she ran out and to the opposite, towards the boys' dorm before flinging the door open. The three were still asleep. James' mop of hair was visible at the top of his covers, Sirius is hugging his teddy – Seriously Sirius. Remus was just sleeping peacefully. Lily started bouncing, first on Remus' bed as it's the nearest. When he woke up, they proceeded to Sirius'. Sirius rubbed his eyes and mumbled 'No, not the pudding. Anything but the pudding. Wait – not the roast chicken either. Nor the steam pork. Definitely not the turkey, too. Anything but them. I can't let you have my roasted marshmallows, too!'

Lily and Remus laughed at that before shaking him awake.

Seeing his friends laughing helplessly on the ground, Sirius asked groggily, 'Whaddya want?'

Sirius awake, Lily started jumping on James' bed. She jumped and jumped, receiving no response. Sirius joined her soon, so did Remus. James slept through it all. Lily then heard him mutter something in his sleep, as she motioned the other two to stop jumping. They lean forward to listen, straining their ears. They made out a few words as most were too blurred.

'What does he mean by "Would whatever me whatever whatever live whatever me whatever for whatever?"' Lily asked Sirius and Remus, who looked equally puzzled at their friend – wait. _BEST_ friend's behaviour.

'No idea.'

'Just like you.'

'Forget this. Get him up and we'll open our presents.'

'But how? You saw him, he slept through everything!'

'Try shaking. It worked for me.'

They shook him vigorously. No response. He just slept through everything.

'Let's try fairy tale way,' Remus suggested.

'Uh-uh. It's the other way round,' Sirius replied gloomily.

'Well, we'll just do the other way round then,' Remus replied brightly.

'Nah. Just skip the idea,' Lily shook it off, not eager about kissing him up.

'We need him up,' Sirius pointed out.

'Yea, should have other way, right?' Lily asked hopefully.

'Okay, if they didn't work, you'll have to do it as you're the only girl,' Remus said as he dug for Dungbombs.

They threw them at him. They fired fireworks, work the yo-yos.

No response.

Lily groaned as she leant over to kiss him, Sirius and Remus looking on. She winced a little as she gave him a quick peck on his cheeks. Sirius and Remus cheered on, holding little pom-poms Sirius had just transfigured. James rubbed his eyes groggily.

'G'morning!' he said cheerfully. He saw Lily next to him, looking ready to hang herself as she hung a knotted rope on the ceiling.

'Whatcha doing?'

'Trying to commit suicide. I'd just done the dumbest thing in my life, thanks to Sirius and Remus.'

Sirius and Remus were grinning broadly as Lily placed her head in the rope, James still confused.

'Hey, it worked! Whaddya know, Remus. I must say, it must be really pleasant to wake up that way,' Sirius said dreamily.

Lily was saying her prayers.

'Well, I'm honored by the praise, Sirius.'

Lily closed her eyes.

'Hello? Lily, you aren't saying samething here. What happened?'

'I'd done the dumbest thing anyone would in my whole life, Potter.'

'And just what is it?'

'What do you think?'

'…'

'See?'

'Aaw, Lily, he doesn't mean that!'

'And it ain't the dumbest thing in your life.'

'Just what happened???'

'How do you come to wake?'

'Huh?'

'How did you wake up?'

'No idea. I can never wake up on Christmas mornings. I always wake in the noon.'

'And, may I know, what time is it?'

'Noon?'

'No, moron! The clock's here and it's stated clearly: Eight in the morning!'

'Wow! This must be a record! Mum could never get me up!'

'No idiot, because Evans had just wake you up!'

'That dumb?'

'Okay, unless someone can convince me it isn't the dumbest thing in my life, I'll die now. Prayers said, everything ready, now all that's left is just saying goodbye.'

'Okay Evans. It isn't the dumbest thing.'

'No? And you think that'll convince me?'

'What's so dumb in waking me up? That'll be a record set in history! No one ever manages to wake me up on Christmas morning!'

'The dumb thing's me, happy? Now I'd better hang myself quick. I don't want unfinished buisness and remain as a ghost. If you can tell me why it isn't the dumbest thing in my life and why mustn't I die, I might forget the idea.'

'Sirius? Remus?'

'Okay Lily, it's just a simple thing! We won't tease you!'

'You want me to believe that?'

'When did we tease you for doing any dumb things in your life?'

'…'

'There, I got a point there.'

'Fine. Point taken. Any others?'

'If you hang yourself, Potter'll be lonely as he'd be the only one with brains in our group.'

'Another point taken. One more and I'll go, that is, if you can ever.'

'You're the only one in this group that can play good chess besides me. You have nice strategies and you plan most of our raids and pranks. Also, Sirius'll be lonely as you're the only one who can joke as much as he can,' James put in helpfully.

Sighing in resignation, Lily pulled her head from the rope and remove it from the ceiling.

'Good points, boys. Now tell me why it isn't the dumbest thing in my life.'

'Because we forced you?'

'Can be accepted.'

'There! It's done,' Remus said happily.

'Now, can I know what this dumb thing is? I think that those who managed to wake me up – which is none, but Lily – is those whose name must be in the record books. And I don't see anything dumb about it.'

'Forget that, James, just forget it.'

'Why, Lily?'

'You wouldn't want to know.'

'I want to.'

'Will a no do?'

'No.'

'Too bad. No.'

'Hey!'

'Present's waiting.'

'Oh, right.'

They sorted out their presents as the boys start ripping off the papers. Lily turned Billy's present curiously as James drew out a set of quills, Remus thick books and Sirius, a large family rulebook from their parents. Lily tore open Billy and Elley's presents, only to uncover a very big book ofadvance charms and a bracelet with a long string of charms to choose from. She turn to unwrap her parents', which turned out to be a whole set of quills, parchments, additional potions ingredients, new robes, new bag, inkbottles and some books. The Potters sent her a new load of Dungbombs, stink pellets – every trick in Zonko's. The Blacks had decided to send her a book on advanced spells. The Lupins gave her sweets and treats of all kinds. Gram had sent her more loads of boggarts, powders, strings of charms, hexes, counter-curses, and some money with an additional note telling her to use them well. James had sent her a whole new load of tricks and a necklace with little lilies stringed in. Sirius sent her also another load of Zonko's products and food of all sorts. Must be really sad for him to give them to me, Lily smirked to herself, remembering Sirius' fear of having no food. Remus considered giving her books, but shook it off and gave her a new watch (hers broke down) and another load of tricks.

Lily glanced happily at her presents and sort the tricks from the others. Most of her presents were tricks and stuff from Zonko's. Some, were made especially for her by her old Gram. Lily went back to her dorm and kept her tricks in the trunk. She keep the food in another trunk (she magicked it) and proceed to fill her potions set.

In breakfast, they had a feast and Remus got a silver sickle embedded in his Christmas pudding. His teeth had nearly fallen off as he bit into the sickle hard and had also nearly swallowed it in surprise. The Marauders had to thump it out as the boy gasped for breath, looking paler than ever. Dumbledore appeared, holding his load of presents and began opening them. In one of his presents, he pulled out four pairs of brightly colored socks and turned the card over to see who sent them. '_Merry Christmas, Dumbledore! From, The Marauders of Hogwarts._' They had sent him pairs of socks as a joke. To their surprise and glee, he smile at them before calling thank you to them. They went up to bow as the school laughed at them. They had wore a holly each on their robes and Lily had one on her hair. Their robes, instead of black, were charmed into green and red to celebrate the holiday.

The day passed by peacefully.

Snowballs. Flying on broomsticks. Playing with Peeves. Eat the feast again. Snowballing. Hit McGonagall on the face. Detentions. Ice-skating on the frozen lake. Snowballing. Feast again. Dungbombs. And snowballs.

Thus, was the end of their Christmas day.

The days passed by as the Marauders kept on and on earning more detentions and giving McGonagall and the other students more headaches.

Soon, the holidays had ended and students come streaming back into the castle. Things went back to normal; well, normal as it is in their way. Tricks were pulled at Snape, Howlers, once again, boomed every morning from the Slytherin table. Lessons continued and the Marauders managed to get past Professor Binns as they snoozed their lost sleep in his class. Students at the back were usually woke up, feeling like drenched with cold water when Binns tooks points off. The Marauders were envied by them, as they sat in the front row, sleeping without disturbance.

Astronomy with Sinistra were fine, until they started practical work. The first years find it annoying to have their astronomy classes in the middle of the night, as they were missing their sleep. Remus didn't complain at all, and soon, is a favorite with the professor as he knew all about Astronomy.

Everything went just as casually as they could.

One fine Sunday, as the Marauders were having a picnic just by the lake, the giant squid had appeared from the lake, trying to grab hold on the nearest student it could. The squid looked angrily around, as he grabbed the nearest student, a pudgy, fat boy, who stood rooted to the ground at the sight of the squid. The squid eyed menacingly at him as the other students gaped in shock. The Marauders wasted no time in gaping or staring at the squid, but quickly pulled out their wands, point it at the squid before yelling '_Mimosa Niestosa_' at it. It hit the squid right in the eye as it dropped the boy it was clutching with it's tentacles on to. Wasting no time, Sirius dived in and swam strongly towards him and pulled him to the bank. Lily dried him with a simple charm as James and Remus check for pulse.

'He's still alive.'

'We can see that.'

'He's a stupid boy.'

'The most interesting specimen I'd come across. What's his IQ?'

'Very low from average.'

'Poor soul.'

'A coward.'

'Suits him.'

'A Slytherin.'

'Should've left the squid to gobble him for dinner.'

'No more poor soul.'

'Sirius…'

'Fine, whatever.'

'Okay, he's still goners.'

'What? But the pulse's still beating, James!'

'Huh? Oh, I mean he's still here, but we _should_ have left this Slytherin to that squid. Less one enemy from the Slytherin house.'

'Yep!'

'That's the spirit, Lily.'

'C'mon, we just saved a _Slytherin_ from being roasted as a squid's dinner.'

'I know that squid.'

'How, Lily?'

'In the book. Says it only comes out once in every ten years to eat. Must be pretty hungry, with all those Grindylows there and the merpeople to compete for food.'

'Anyone'd think we deserved points for saving this idiot.'

'Sirius-'

'He's a Slytherin, Remus!'

'James-'

'Don't "Lily" me, but we still deserve them. I mean, no one's helping and only the four of us. We saved our rival house's student! Hello! Earth to Remus! Had an alien taken over your head?'

'Lily-'

'I said "don't", Remus. And I still think-'

Lily was cut off by Dumbledore. He hurried over to them, an anxious look on his face as his beard flew behind him.

'Is he fine?'

'Yes, Professor. Well, still shock though.'

'Good. It is brave of you to save him from that squid. Must be a strong magic to get rid of him.'

'Yep! Gram taught me that. Said she'd accidentally found it when trying to pronounce some very complicated charm.'

'Very well, Evans. Fifty points to Gryffindor for your bravery.'

'Only fifty?' That, was Sirius.

'I think if Godric's here, he would've given us a hundred.'

'I see you'd done some reading.'

'Definitely. Our brains here told us that.'

Sirius waved to Lily and James, who bowed graciously.

'Well, fifty points _each_, since the each of you contributed to saving him, even if he's from Slytherin. Couldn't be better than that.'

The Marauders whooped with joy.

The boy woke up and started squealing franticly. He sounded like Flitwick, Lily mused.

'Pettigrew, you're save from the squid, as the Marauders had saved you from them.'

They turned bitter at him. A Slytherin deserves no better than Severus, even if they didn't know him.

'Oh, thank you! I couldn't well thank you more. Thank you thank you thank you!'

He whimpered up to them.

'No need for that,' Lily said in a cold voice.

'We'd to do it as no one else will,' James replied, equally cold.

'You'd better be thankful 'cause the squid was deciding to roast you,' Sirius said in a colder voice.

'And we don't want to see you anymore,' Remus finished in a cold voice that sent chills to Pettigrew's spines. Remus didn't trust the boy and neither did any of the Marauders.

Pettigrew shrivelled like a shrivelfig and ran off to his house.

The Gryffindors sighed in relief. It wasn't easy to muster a cold voice. Dumbledore watched on.

'I see you don't trust him? He'll be kissing the ground you walk on pretty soon.'

'Well, that'll take him years, professor, if he thinks of getting along with us.'

'Yep. Professor, you couldn't blame us. We'd seriously tried to drown him back after we found out that he's a Slytherin.'

'I understand, James, I understand.'

They sighed again.

'Guess we'd better be packing. A sherbet lemon, professor?' Lily offered, holding out the muggle sweet.

'What is it?'

'Muggle sweet. It's nice. Wanna try it? Don't worry, I didn't poison the sour powder in it.'

'Thank you.'

And that, is how Albus Dumbledore, the principal of Hogwarts, came to like sherbet lemons.

AN: This, is so very long… am I tired! I'd been writing this ever since 8 in the evening and it is now 3:30 in the morning. Seriously, my fingers are feeling dead and my eyes are now swollen red. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as it is the longest (so far). I'm felt that I'm being a little fickle-minded here, but I think it's good, as I had this chapter so long. If I _were_ to type everything in full details -*****shivers*- I wouldn't want to know how long time will be then… remember to review ^_^ any questions, fire them into my email at [moonbunny86@hotmail.com][1] or just review it with the questions, kay? Til the next chapter – bye! ^_^

   [1]: mailto:moonbunny86@hotmail.com



	8. The Day Goes By

AN: I'd never ever went as far as chapter 8. never. The farthest I'd ever gone to was chapter 5 o_o I don't believe it… anyway, this chapter'll be pretty short (everything went to chapter 7!) so please don't blame me, please? A little romance in the part before won't harm right? Anyway, who's read this? Oh, and sherbet lemons are also lemon drops ^_^ sorry, I'd forgotten that some people live away from my place (and my place isn't common!) with different pronunciations! R/r, okay? Enjoy! ^_^

_bunny chan_

The Marauding Five : Year One

**Chapter 8: The Day Goes By**

The Marauders were having their breakfast when Owl Post came as thousands upon thousands of owls swooped down. But instead of the usual tawny brown owls, snow-white ones and barn owls, a flock of rainbow colored owls replaced them.

The owls swept to their owners as they looked at their owls with horror stricken faces. Radish, Lotus, Jackpot and Soots flew respectively to Remus, Lily, James and Sirius. Radish was brightly colored in a color of a very red beetroot, Lotus has a soft tinge of pink about her, Jackpot was given the color of a mahogany and Soots, being like it's name, was blessed with soot-black coat. The Marauders see that as nothing new, for they'd dyed their owls in their chosen color when they dyed the owls in the owlery the night before. Lily had decided to give them their name colors, but James', being 'Jackpot', had no specific color and was chosen mahogany brown by Lily. They made sure to feed their owls themselves, as they'd mixed the color-changing potion (courtesy of Gram's newest discovery) into the owl's food when the house elves fed the owls.

They laughed at the faces of those whose owls were in transparent-ghost color. Some had the color to match the ghosts', and Peeves transformed himself into an owl, scaring the wits out of everyone by blowing their letters at them when they opened it. The professors stared unapprovingly at them, but the four wore their most innocent expression, making the professors pass them and turn to Snape. After all, they were the best students, aren't they? Their jokes were always directed to Severus Snape and Mrs Norris and Filch (doing a great favor to everyone), and there's no reason to doing it to the whole school.

As Lily was drinking her pumpkin juice, a tiny squeak came from behind her, making her spurt it all over Thomas' face, as he's sitting opposite her. He glared angrily at her as Lily turned to face the squeak, thinking it as Flitwick. After all, who else had a squeak that high? Lily gulped. She'd used a charm in the owl's food. Maybe Flitwick had discovered it and will take points off Gryffindor? She didn't mind losing points, but when she heard that Slytherin house had the House Cup for ten years in a row, she's determine to change that. Flitwick, being Ravenclaw's house teacher, may be taking points off her as she'd made the Ravenclaw owls all luminous, some in a horrid purple. The other three start twitching in their chair.

To the Marauders' surprise, it was no Flitwick but…

'PETTIGREW!'

The boy nodded meekly at them.

'Just what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in your house, _Slytherin_,' Lily said, disgust at a Slytherin being at the Gryffindor table.

'Right. No Slip-the-rims allowed in the Gryffindor table,' James said, biting into his cereals as the four turned their back to him.

Pettigrew squeaked again. 'I- I- want to th- th- thank y- y- you f- f- for s- s- saving m- me f- from that h- horrid s- s- s- squid.'

'That's before we knew you're a Slytherin. If we knew better, we should've let you drown and be made a dinner to that creature. I simple had no idea how we'd lose our minds by saving a _Slytherin_ when he could've done us such a huge favor by getting rid of a Slytherin,' Sirius replied coldly with an equally cold expression. His long hair drooping about his face added the effect.

Pettigrew whimpered.

'C'mon, leave those egoistic prigs alone, Pettigrew,' a cold, snarling voice drawled.

'Hello Severus! How's your owl? It looked kinda green, don't you think so? Not to mention with red and purple spots all over it. Some food you gave him or is it natural? Maybe it's sick with owl-pox, as I'd never seen an owl like that, despite the colored owls all around. None of them had those _magnificent_ spots – they don't have any, in fact – as yours do,' Lily said cheerfully, spinning around.

'Yep. I envy him. Please, tell me how you did that! Soots' tired of staying black!'

'My owl's a _her_, Black. And what name is Soots?'

'Someone speaks when he named his owl Tally. Why? Had a crush on her? Boy, a Slytherin and a Gryffindor! When will the wedding date be? Had you decided to give her an oily, greasy ring, decorated with a picture of yourself and some green and silver slime balls on it? Interesting, I must say.'

'Watch it, Potter,' Severus snapped as James hummed a wedding march. Severus had a crush on Chapman, and when he got an owl for Christmas, he'd name it after her.

'Ugh. Severus Snape, Order of Snape, first class, Slimeball gits and Slytherin pigs, fall in love? Okay, let the bludger kill me or just gag me with that snitch,' Lily and James said as they pretended to vomit and fainted on the floor.

Severus glared.

'I don't recall you invited, Severus. Where's the invitation card to enter Gryffindor? Oh look! What's this on Tally's leg? A letter in red again? Tsk tsk, you really should find out who sent these howlers, Severus,' Remus tutted in disapproval.

'Now, how about opening it? Or did you expect it to burst open itself? Maybe you should just walk back to your table. Maybe I could send you off with that spell I'd just found? It sends whomever you want to wherever you want. I must say, I should send you to Egypt or the Amazon forest.'

'Lupin, where'd you been yesterday? I recall you were absent again. How could you have been able to coop with the studies? I think Potter, Evans and Black let you copy their works, didn't they? You couldn't have finished your homework with the amount of time you'd been missing from school.'

'Sorry Snape. I let no one copy my work. Hey, anyone interested in Exploding Snape? Or should we use the curse Remus is talking about?' Lily asked brightly.

BOMB!

The Howler in Tally's (Snape's owl) leg went off, leaving the owl battered as she stared at her owner angrily from her purple (dyed, yet again, by the Marauders) eyes as she flew off in a huff, not before scratching the greasy haired boy deeply.

Snape howled loudly as he ran back to the Slytherin Common Room (wherever it is) with Pettigrew tagging alongside.

'A howler wasted. I spent some time in making that,' Lily sighed sadly as se stared at the little red bits on the ground. James picked them up, trying to make out the curse in it and the song. Every time Lily sent a howler, it'll always be in a shape of a ludicrous song or a nasty poem along with a nasty curse to go with it.

'What is it about anyway?' Sirius was sniffing at the red bits, seeing if she added stink pellets in it.

'The same ol' thing. A song and this time, _three_ curses to go with it.'

'Nice going, Lily. I detect a stink pellet,' Sirius said as he draw his nose from it.

'What curse?'

'First, the chicken pox curse, making him look like his owl.'

'Groovy! You could put it on him when we meet later. No lessons on Sunday though.'

'Then?'

'It's the curse of bogies. I'd managed to find the advance version; and it's nothing like the one Corn taught.'

'Eeew. We can learn it later and put it on Severus.'

'Lastly?'

'The best one yet. It's the repeating hex. Whatever you say to the hexed, he'll repeat whatever you said and start and end it with a chosen phrase. My favorite one.'

'And just what did you make him say?'

'Do say it's "THE MARAUDERS RULES!!!"!'

'Close, James, but it's "The Marauders are so much better off than me. They have everything and I have nothing. They have good grades and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a greasy slimeball, crazy git and an absolutely ludicrous Slytherin."'

'That's long. I thought we were only allowed to put a couple of words!'

'Found an advanced version, yet again.'

'Must've taken you long.'

'Right on the nail.'

Lily sighed sadly as she stared at the bits on the floor.

'Let's just forget this. How about getting Mrs Norris? That furball scratched me yesterday!'

'Well, there's always and itching powder-'

'And then again, a stink pellet-'

'How about tying a packet of mud with a hole under it? Wherever she goes, the mud'll fall off. And Filch'll have a time cleaning it!'

'Good one. But how can we tie it?'

Silence.

'Forget this. I wanna go to the common room. How was it last night, Remus?' Lily asked as they walked from the Great Hall. 'Awful. Had a hard time controlling myself,' Remus replied bitterly. 'Too bad we can't help. If we can, I always will,' Sirius put in as he patted his friend sympathicly. They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

'Password?' she asked sharply to them. Bad mood, Lily said to herself. 'The Fat Lady has the most awesome portrait of all,' Sirius replied simply as Remus grinned. 'I don't recall it being that long.' 'Sorry Black. You know the rules: No password, no entering. Nice attempt to calm me down, though,' the Fat Lady said disapprovingly. 'Well, what happened?' James asked in a concern tone as the four sat in front of her large portrait.

'We're ready to listen,' Lily added.

'No kids. Sorry, but unless you want to get in, you can't bother chatting here.'

'Fine. Burning Phoenix. We need to get some things.'

The portrait swung open as they climb in to gather things from Lily's Prank Trunk. They ran into the first year girls' dorm, and swung the door open. Sirius had said, 'Even if no one's there, we still have to do so to show that we're the Marauders entering. Hey, we have our pride and dignity!'

They stared at the sight before them. 

Tally was sitting in front of her dresser, rollers in her hair. Sita was still lying in her bed, pajamas and all. Nina and Pertsy were playing a game of wizard chess. The usually empty girls dorm was full with it's occupants today. The four girls open their mouth wide to begin their screams. Remus waved his wand at that very moment, and slugs start pouring from their mouths when they opened them. The girls gasped, horrified, and ran straight out towards the Hospital Wing.

'That should get rid of them.'

'They're using my chess set! Knight, why'd you let them use you??'

'Mistress, they threatened to change us into a normal chess set, and we wouldn't want to be it! It's so boring!'

'They threatened you? They should've known better than to mess with the Marauder's things!'

'Hey, I can always do that to their things. Besides, they aren't good with Transfiguration, as they're the worst in class (besides Severus), so they couldn't even transform my chess set into anything at all.'

'But-'

'No worry, I'll take revenge. I'm no Marauder if I don't.'

'That's better.'

Lily bowed.

She went to her bed and muttered the password (Severus Snape is an ugly git) before it opened to reveal her Prank Trunk. Loads of things had been added since the boys last see the contents of it. More Dungbombs, a set of fake potions ingredients, automatic fireworks, bursting cauldron, screaming banshees-

'Where'd you get all those new stuff Lily'?'

'Oh, them. Gram and Mrs Potter sent them to me.'

'How come mum never sends any to me?'

'Beat me with the Bludger.'

'I certainly will.'

'Not that way, Sirius.'

'Fine. It'll be better to chase the others anyway.'

'Right. So anyhow, Gram loves to make new tricks, now that I'm not home. Here're some of her creations.'

Lily pulled out a couple of tall bottles.

'These, are one of her best. Bursting Butterbeer. Well, it's my favorite anyway. Whoever who drinks this has this feeling like they're going to burst and – Sirius! Don't drink it!!'

Sirius was feeling thirsty, so when Lily pulled out the butterbeer bottles, he'd popped the cover open and was already gulping it. Lily moaned as Sirius start growing fatter and fatter, and his robes expanded along with his body. Soon, he was taking half the room as they watch him swell larger with horror. Sirius was almost positive that he'll burst when he shrinkedback to his normal size in a loud 'pop!'.

'Forget the explanation. The proof's right in front of us!' Lily said, grinning from ear to ear. The others stared, awed at the effect. 'Uh… has it any side effect Lily?' Sirius asked as he checked himself. 'As far as I'd known, no. Well, I tried it, and it was a horrible fright to me. I thought Gram had sent me butterbeer!' Lily exclaimed as she remembered the time when she took the bottle. They laughed, at the thought of Lily's horrified face and her being as fat as Sirius had.

'I wasn't as fat as Sirius though. It seems that it'll expand you until at least half the room you're in. I was in the toilet at that time. You know, butterbeer not allowed for first years,' Lily said as she giggled at that thought.

'Well done! We should offer it to our dear Severus Snape, Order of Snapes, Slimeball gits and Slytherin pigs. I'm sure he'd be glad to have it!' James chuckled as Remus rolled behind him. 'Imagine his face!' Remus choked as he imagine Severus' oily skin expanding, oilier than ever, and his greasy hair left a chunk over it.

'Now, how shall we pull it?' James pondered.

'We could do it in the Great Hall,' Sirius put in helpfully.

'Gosh! And what would the teachers _say_?' Lily asked with a pretence of shock on her face.

'No. Better, what would they _do_?' Remus said to Lily.

'Detentions.'

They checked the Prank Trunk for more tricks, making it messy. Lily had it cleaned the day before. Packets of powders of one side, the boggart boxes on the other, Zonko's products in a corner, her Gram's inventions in the other, thick books piled neatly and the miscellaneous took over a huge section of the large trunk.

'How about sneezing powder?'

'What's this Lily?'

James pulled out two big book, titled _The Advance Book of Potions, Hexes, Tips and More On Playing Your Enemy_ and _Simple Hexes, Potions, Charms and Defenses Against Your Enemies_.

'Oh, that. That's where I got the advance version of the Repeating Hex, Chicken Pox Curse and the Curse of Bogies. It came yesterday, from mother and Gram. Mother doesn't like playing tricks, but she enjoyed others doing so, so she got me the advance book. And how did you think Severus' owl got that weird pox? Thanks to the simple charms,' Lily replied, grinning broadly at the thought of Severus' owl.

'Knowing you, you'd have memorized the whole book by now,' Sirius mused as he look at the thick books with interest.

'Right.'

'Good. We wouldn't want to read books this thick. I mean, look! This simple hexes book is as thick as five of my hands stacked up! And the advance book – it's as thick as our heads put together.'

'Count yourself lucky then. I'd memorized exactly everything.'

'I know I'm lucky enough to have a friend like you.'

'I thought you didn't.'

'Well… if you don't want me to, it can always be fixed.'

'Forget it, James.'

'Hey, how about giving Mrs Norris a new fashion?'

'Let's see…'

Lily rummaged deep into her trunk, almost falling over in process and the boys had to hold on to her to prevent her from falling in. After three minutes, Lily grinned happily at what seemed like little white fish biscuits.

'Charmed Cat Food,' Lily exclaimed happily. 'I made it myself.'

'You made them? How come we're never told?'

'Hey, I just made them last week!'

'You could've told us by then.'

'Forget this. Like I said, I'd charmed it to do whatever we want it to. We just need the correct phrase though. What would you want it to do?'

'Make Mrs Norris have a pair of antlers. Gives her a nicer picture and it shows that Filch has a better taste.'

'Okay, let me try, but no promises!'

They nodded. Lily raised her wand over the biscuits saying:

_'Charmed by Lily Evans, the brains of Marauders,_

_little biscuits, give Mrs Norris a pair of antlers!_'

They watch as it gave a slight shimmer and faded into a brown, biscuit color. Lily grinned happily.

'That should do the trick. Knowing that greedy cat, she'll gobble it up.'

They ran out, carrying a bottle of the Bursting Butterbeer under Remus' robes and Lily holding the charmed biscuit. Scrambling out of the portrait hole, they started their search for Filch's cat.

Peeves swooped up to them and they explained to him their plans for the cat. To their delight, the poltergeist had agreed to bring them Mrs Norris, saying 'I'd always hated that cat and Filch. Kept scratching me in my school days. Goody for ya to think of this!'

They waited outside of the Great Hall, and five minutes after, Peeves flew up to them, carrying a horrified Mrs Norris. He threw her down harshly. The cat landed on her feet, shaking and quivering. Lily walked up to her casually, saying 'Oh, you poor kitty! What a treatment! Want a cookie? I have one…'

Mrs Norris agreed reluctantly as Lily fed it the biscuit. The cat chewed it up greedily as a weird feeling came up to it. Why, oh why, is there something on her head? It seems to be heavier than usual…

She glanced at the nearby mirror, only to mew frantically at her reflection. On her head, was a fine pair of antlers, strong and thick. She yelped and jumped down, quickly running from Lily, making mental notes not to get near the Marauders. The Marauders laughed gleefully, just before a dark shadow loomed before them.

McGonagall had seen what happened.

AN: well, that is all I can add in for this chapter. wonder why did I title it that way...? oh well, the day does goes by, with them playing the trick on Mrs Norris. I hate that cat. nasty little thing, I say. anyway, watch out for the oncoming chapter, Chapter 9! please review again? I'd gladly appreciate it as it give me the motivation ^_~


	9. In Dumbledore’s Office

AN: this is probably one of the shortest chapter (after chapter 1), so bear with it, okay? It isn't exactly THAT short either, so it'll satisfy you (I sincerely hope so) just fine. Go on and read =)

_bunny chan_

Disclaimer: I own no rights to almost everything in here except for the plot, the story and half the jokes which aren't even funny.

The Marauding Five : Year One

**Chapter 9: In Dumbledore's Office**

McGonagall stared hard at them with a severe expression. The Marauders gulped.

'What are you doing to the school cat, giving her a pair of stag antlers?'

'Erm… Minnie-'

'_Professor_, Evans.'

'Professor, see I'd just learned how to talk to animals.'

'And we'd just chat with Norris.'

'She wants a pair of antlers.'

'So we thought we'd do a favor to grant her her wish.'

'A few flaws, Evans, Potter, Black, Lupin. You don't learn how to talk to animals until your sixth year. And I trust that no cats would like antlers on their heads. Also, she ran as soon as she saw her reflection.'

'Well, see, Lily and James were so smart, they'd taken to reading sixth year books. I mean, look at your tests! They aced every one of them with the highest marks in Hogwarts' history! Next, Norris wants to give herself a new fashion, a simple thing to understand, really. Then lastly, she ran because she saw you in that muggle make-up,' Sirius pointed out to McGonagall, who frowned even more.

'I accept the fact that Evans and Potter can speak to animals as they're really smart for their age-' Lily and James grinned happily '-but the second fact is simply impossible. The third one, well, I don't see what is wrong with muggle make-up.'

'But Professor, take a look in the mirror!' Lily whipped the mirror from the wall, causing it to cry out in astonishment and put it in front of the professor. 'Tsk tsk! McGonagall, I really didn't expect this from you,' the mirror tutted in disapproval.

McGonagall flushed through her make-up. Someone had sent her a set of muggle make-up that morning and she'd used it. Her face was powdered until she looked as white as a vampire (maybe a dracula might pass) and she'd put so much blush on her face that it shone radiantly. McGonagall had never once wore make-up and had a little trouble putting it her first time.

'Well, professor? Maybe you'd like Lily's mother to help you? She's a beautician.'

'Come to think of it, maybe Lily herself might be able to!'

'Right. Lily, interested in earning some money? We're short of them, aren't we?'

'Gladly. When will lessons start?'

'Still, that is no excuse of why the cat ran off in her reflection. This mirror is charmed to show only the person it looked at.'

'So you are pleading?'

'Right.'

'Do you have any idea on what you are saying?'

'Right.'

'The verdict rests on the Marauders.'

'Right.'

'And Minerva McGonagall is found … GUILTY!'

'NOOOO!!!!'

'At least she heard that last part…'

'Then again, she confessed herself guilty.'

'Right. March her off to Azkaban!'

'Aye, aye, Sirius!'

Lily, James and Remus proceed to start pulling their teacher as she got up and realized what happened.

'Evans. Potter. Black. Lupin.'

'You know us and you're back from dream world! We're flattered.'

'Off. Dumbledore. Office.'

McGonagall was angry and too furious to talk as they were marched to Dumbledore's office (outside a stone gargoyle) and she left them there.

'What are we suppose to do in front of this stone?' Lily muttered as she start kicking the stone gargoyle. She yelped in pain soon after. 'Maybe she wants us to decorate it? Lily, take out your wand and perform a charm at it to glow in colors!' James said excitedly as Lily, still howling at her foot, pulled her wand from her pocket before muttering '_Colorouisa_' at it. The gargoyle showed no effect at first, but when Lily started to try and kick it once more, it shone with different colors. Pleased with her work, Lily smiled at it.

They sat at it for some time, just before Dumbledore came down the passage. Lily was sleeping on James and Sirius is taking photos at the couple when the principle walked down. Woken by the little 'click' of the camera, Lily got up and stepped aside as Dumbledore watched them in amusement. The red head pulled James up as Remus fell backward in stiffness.

'Good. I'm numb and I'm hungry. Where's the food?? Isn't it tea time?'

'No, Remus. In fact, it's dinner. Hello?? We're here for our 1009th detention!'

Dumbledore walked to the gargoyle and called out 'Sherbet Lemons'.

'Isn't that the sweet you offered him yesterday?' James whispered to Lily as they walked up the escalator.

'Yep. Looks like he liked them a lot.'

They entered a neatly furnished room with pictures of the previous headmasters of the school, snoozing contently in their frames as Dumbledore sat behind his desk. A pheonix sat in it's cage with it's gleaming feathers.

'What had you done that made Minnie sent you to me? She prefers dealing with her own students.'

'Well, Minnie Mouse had sorta got fed-up with our teasings, so she'd went bonkers.'

'Minnie Mouse?'

'A muggle cartoon character. She looks like this,' Lily said as she skillfully sketched out a picture of an over-grown mouse with a huge ribbon between her large, mousey ears.

'Interesting. Very interesting. Now, continue.'

'See, we'd taken to giving Norris a pair of fine antlers and we gave Minnie an insult.'

'I take it's about her make-up? I talked to her about it a while ago.'

'Right.'

'And we found her guilty for that action, too,' Lily grinned at the conversation before.

'By the way, what had you done to my gargoyle? She seems a little, uh, more colored.'

'Umm… see, we were bored at sitting there, so Lily was given permission to color it. She had some sort of grudge against that stone.'

'Yea, she hurt my foot.'

The Marauders start grumbling about the gargoyle, about it pulling faces at them, calling them names and everything. In result, Remus had awarded the stone a curse of bogies. James expanded it with a simple expanding spell and Sirius had taken to draw doodles all over it's stony gray face, giving it more expressions.

'And after your actions and deeds today, you deserve something in return.'

'Oh? Just what? Please say you'll award us fifty points each!!' Sirius said eagerly as he got up from his chair. His face fell when Dumbledore said that he will award them only four points for insulting the cat (he hated her, too, for scratching him in _his_ school days) and a detention.

'At least we get a detention,' Remus chided his tall friend as they walked out of Dumbledore's office. 'But we should at least get ten points for insulting that stupid cat!' Sirius grumbled in protest as he pulled a face at Remus. 'Hey, if she's stupid, what's the use of playing a prank on her?' James asked thoughtfully. Sirius thought for a while before saying, 'Point accepted.' 'I knew it will,' James replied smugly. Lily just laughed when Mrs Norris rounded up to them, antlers and all. She let out a frightened mew as she ran from sight, bumping into an armor suit, who grumbled about untrained cats before walking off.

Just then, Severus Snape strutted towards them in a pompous way.

He smirked at them. 'You had a detention? How many points have been taken off Gryffindor? Fifty points each? Everyone who went to Dumbledore always had that. HAH! I'd love to see those Gryffindors' faces when they find 200 of their points lost because of their so-proud-Marauders. Lets see if they still worship you when they found out.'

Remus, exasperated, replied 'Well Severus, we didn't lose any points. In fact, we earned 4 points for doing a good job with Mrs Norris! Maybe you could try it too?'

Severus stared at them in disbelief as they walk pass him, chattering about the DADA essay on Yully-Yelps. He shook his head as he went back to find Mrs Norris. True enough, she had antlers and not looking pleased with them. He drew his marker pen as he doodled little pictures on the cat. She hissed loudly as McGonagall, passing by, caught sight of that. Without a word, she took five points off Slytherin. He stared at his luck in disbelief, holding the detention slip in his hands. 'POTTER, BLACK, EVANS, LUPIN!!! YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR WRATH!!! WITH YOUR DEATHS!' Severus cried angrily. It echoed throughout the whole castle, and soon, another fifteen points were taken off from Slytherin.

The Marauders, in the library, were working out for the DADA essay when they heard a loud call from Severus saying that they should pay with their deaths. Sirius and Remus smirked at that and James merely ignored it.

'I don't recall ourselves earning a death. All we did was doing a favor to the dull cat,' Lily said with an amused expression along with an equally amused tone. They smirked at this.

'The Yully-Yelps were found in where?' James started as he adjusted his glasses to squint at the book. The font was _really_ small – no, it's tiny – as he tried to locate where Yully-Yelps were commonly found. 'Forget this, James. I had them all written down. Take the points if you want,' Lily said as she shove her five foot long essay under James' nose, who took it gratefully.

'Hey, any idea for Severus?' Sirius asked as he turned to flip the pages. 'Well, since Lily's howler for that feather-brained git had exploded, why not get her to do it again for tomorrow morning? I mean, then at least the school'll know what was in the previous Howler and we have class tomorrow, so they'll have a good look at him,' Remus replied absent-mindedly as he started to check the lunar chart.

'Worried for the next transformation again, Lupin?' James looked up from the work as he peeped at the chart. 'Yeah. The day before was bad. Wouldn't want it anymore,' he replied blissfully. 'Hey Lily, try to whip up a new song to insult that greasy git again! Maybe we can make something out of it and help add more curses into that Howler?' Remus said as he changed the subject. Lily was deep in thought when she nodded, her fingers were making notes at the opened spellbook in front of her as she memorized the spells she wished to use on Severus.

'Since our "brains" are kinda busy, what are we to do?' Sirius asked in an annoyed voice. 'Well, we always have to complete our DADA homework. Corn wants a three-foot long essay, and if Lily can produce him a five-foot one, we, being her best friend, should be at least four-foot. Lily, why must you be our best friend?' Remus grumbled good naturedly as the red head put on a mock expression. 

'If I'm not, I don't think you can survive already. Besides, James wouldn't have a friend to talk to as Sirius is totally insane and you live too far away to have a chat with. And besides you being the only voice of reason, I'm always another sensible part of the group with Sirius' insanity going on. Sirius will be pretty lonely, being the only one to be able to think of good comebacks (besides James). And you'll most probably get yourself in trouble without me to help you plan. Are you saying that you regret all this?'

'Um… not exactly, but you have a point there.'

'Right. So you want me off the Marauders?'

'NO!'

'Good.'

'OUT NOW!!! I will have no one making noises in the library! OUT OUT OUT!!' Madam Pince cried out angrily as she shooed them out.

'So much for our peaceful time to work. Anyway, thanks Lily. I'd finished my essay.'

'You're welcomed.'

'Now, how about doing our detention now? It's half-past five now, right?'

The four grumbled as they went to the Potions Dungeons to do their detention: clean all the cauldrons until they shine.

AN: there! I said it'd be short and it IS short! Very boring, this chapter I mean, don't you think so? But please, do me a favor by reviewing this story! I thank you a million and I'll have the next part posted once I'm finished!


	10. Secret Discoveries

AN: well, surprise surprise! It's already chapter 10 and I now have one more chapter to go before Year Two comes along. I don't know if you're eager for this or not, maybe no, as the reviews I'm receiving aren't all that good *looks sad*. Anyway, I'll still be continuing these series whether you like it or not, so bear with me. Thanks to those who reviewed ^_^ and about romance, just wait a little longer, okay? I'll be adding in the spices in year two because I really don't feel like skipping all these years off. I thought it might be nice, if I write my first story in long chapters and year by year since few had done that… tell me what you think.

_bunny chan_

Disclaimer: who'd read this anyway? But… nothing that I didn't invent doesn't belong to me. And yes, this story belongs to me, so please read and review!

The Marauding Five : Year One

**Chapter 10: Secret Discoveries**

Lily grumbled to herself as she rubbed furiously at the cauldron she was cleaning. Why, of all the detentions they could get, must they clean the cauldrons? It'll be used the very next day anyway, so what's the point? James and Remus were having the same thoughts. Sirius, however, was having a different one. Sure, they clean cauldrons and it'll be used the next day, but there's a part the professors had always forgotten. This detention will give them more chance on pulling a prank.

Sirius happily draw a few Filibuster's Fireworks from his robes and start planting them in the cauldrons. All of the Slytherins' cauldrons, in fact. He was enjoying himself, and the other three had decided that their friend had lost the top deck as he hummed himself a little tune.

Soon, their stomachs began to complain. The four hadn't eaten yet, because of their detention, and were terribly hungry. Out of energy and working source, the Marauders flopped down. Someone should come with their food, but no, they were forgotten by the teachers already. Lily groaned as she stared at the number of cauldrons they had yet to polish. She pulled out her wand tiredly before muttering a spell under her breath. Her energy gone, her hand fell in a lifeless way by her side as the cauldrons glimmered and shine brightly.

'Why didn't we do that earlier?' James moaned. 'Because I'd forgotten all about it?' Lily answered tiredly. 'YOU? The charms' top student? Forget you best subject?' Sirius put in sarcastically as he flopped on the floor. 'Sirius, my best subject is every subject,' Lily grumbled from the ground. 'Come on, anyone has food or chocolate?' Remus asked weakly, his pale face paler than usual.

'You're asking me? I have Bursting Butterbeer, but I doubt it'll fill you.'

'Nu-uh. Nothing. All went in last night.'

'Sorry Remus. I kinda ate everything with Sirius.'

The groaned again as they fell on the cold, dungeon floor. Lily then suggested that they go find some food and everyone put a full vote on it. They stumbled out – or rather, in Sirius' case, crawl – and headed towards the Great Hall. Maybe it was because of their head feeling dizzy that they found themselves at a dead end, with only a picture of a fruits hanging. Sirius leaned tiredly at the painting as Lily and James looked miserable for themselves. Remus looked ready to faint at any minute as the four groaned inwardly. Neither felt like walking any more.

Just then, Sirius' long hair brushed across the pear as it sent out a high-pitched giggle before opening an entrance to a huge room. Sirius moved away awkwardly as he looked around, expecting another poltergeist in the castle besides Peeves. The remaining trio gaped at the scene before them as the delicious baking smell made its way to their noses. Sirius stared at the sight before them all. _They had found the kitchens._

They rushed into the kitchen quickly as thousands of house elves prepared the food for the oncoming dinner. They scurried busily all over, carrying huge plates of roast chicken, fried beef, puddings – everything! A few ran to them before asking politely, 'How may we help you Misters and Miss?'

The children list off everything they want – from gravy all the way to different varieties of puddings and ate contently. The house elves were delighted and scurried off to make more. The Marauders ate everything until they were all full and thanked the elves sincerely. 'Mister and miss must come back anytime you want food for us will make them for misters and miss!' they replied happily.

The Marauders left happily to their common room, glad that they wouldn't go starving now that they'd found their way to the kitchen.

'Well, who'd have thought that the kitchen entrance will be hidden by a picture? No wonder Billy said it was hard to find the kitchens!' Sirius said gleefully as they passed the Fat Lady with the password (Talking Tambourines).

'Hey, now that we'd found the kitchens, how about the other passages? It'll be fun and boy, will we surprise ol' Filch!' James exclaimed eagerly.

'Rumor has it that there are four secret passages in Hogwarts, but it was never proven true,' Lily said.

'How about finding them all? It'll be great fun!' Remus said happily. The color had come back to his face and he looked less pale than before.

'Right. We'll have to turn this place upside down for them.'

'Think of all the shortcuts we can use!'

'Then what are we waiting for?'

'Okay, I'll take command.'

'Sorry Sirius. If you do, we'll be finding Filch more than the passages.'

'Hey, is that supposed to be an insult?'

'Technically, yes. I think I'll take over. Remus, you go for the third floor. James, try the fourth floor. There's bound to be something suspicious there. I saw Filch disappearing in there before. Sirius, how about ransacking the seventh floor corridors? I'll take over the fifth floor.'

'Aye aye, Captain Lily!'

'No. It's not captain Lily!! It's the pompous, egoistical, show off–'

'One more word James, and you'll be in the hospital wing before you can say "Lily".'

'Sorry. I don't think there's a law restricting me to talk, so I'm free to use my mouth however I please.'

'Argh!! Just get on with the marauding!'

'Aye!'

And they scattered to their respective floors.

**

Remus looked around him. He had turned half the floor upside down to search for a secret passage. He sighed as he leaned against a statue of a witch nearby a classroom. Who cares which classroom this is? I'm dead tired and maybe Lily had her suspicions wrong, since I can't even find anything. Yet. Then again, I have half the corridor more to search. Remus sighed blissfully at that thought.

He had looked in all the tiniest cracks and had tried tapping his wand over a hundred times on various objects; all to nothing. Remus turned to the statue he was leaning against before examining it for small cracks or anything that could lead him anywhere.

He stared at the hump-backed witch. She stared back with her one eye. Remus tapped it with his wand, after giving up the search for a crack. The one eyed witch shivered slightly, sending a slight rumble. Remus' heart skipped a beat. That's it! I found it! Lily's no doubt right about searching the third floor! Remus thought excitedly to himself. Now, to open it…

The boy looked around the statue after it rumbled, hoping for it to move aside or reveal an opening to a secret passage. It did nothing of that sort. Instead, the witch seemed to glare at him even more, as if furious. He searched about it for any signs of crack. Frustrated, Remus kicked at the witch before wincing in pain.

'Right, there's got to be a password,' Remus muttered as he waved his wand over the bruise on his foot to cure the pain.

'Let's see… hey, old hag, open up!'

Nothing happened.

'Show your secret!'

Absolute silence.

'Argh! You stupid statue, open up!!'

The witch glared.

'Open up, o great cave of wonders!'

Remus swore that the witch almost burst out laughing.

'Uh, sorry, but can you open up?'

Her teeth looked dangerously at Remus. He gulped.

'Look, I need a password and I know you conceal a passage, so show it!'

The statue showed her tongue at him.

'Okay, gimme the password and I won't bother you. Else, I'll make sure that you'll end up with a curse.'

As if on cue, the witch's one eyeball rolled down, right onto Remus' already bruised foot.

'YEOWCH!!!!!!! Hey, you can try learning manners y'know! Hmmm? What's this?'

He picked up the eyeball with difficulty before rolling it over, revealing small, carved words.

'_Dissendium.'_

The witch's humped open to reveal a small opening, big enough to fit Sirius.

'Cool! Hey, maybe I should put a charm on you for rolling your eyeball on my leg?'

She glared angrily at Remus before closing the hump. Remus rolled the eyeball back into it's place before leaving and muttered a hurry 'sorry' to the stone.

**

Sirius was grumbling inwardly about Lily taking charge. Knowing Lily, she'll get back on him whenever she could.

On the previous Transfiguration class, Lily had changed her table into a magnificent model of a small Hogwarts castle. When she took it to show McGonagall (it was a dare from McGonagall), Sirius had hexed it with a leaping frog curse, so McGonagall ended up leaping around the castle for the rest of the day, earning Lily a detention. Lily hadn't minded that much for the detention, but ten points had been taken off Gryffindor for offending the head of the house.

He was moving a few pictures on their frames when a short knight on a stout looking pony called out to him.

'You, filthy lad! I shall challenge thou to a fight; sword to sword! No filth is to trespass this stairway as Sir Cadogan, bravest knight of all with the most shiniest armor and the best pony and the best sword-'

Sirius looked bored as he shooed the small knight away, simply by stampeding on his painting as the knight cried out in pain. The long haired boy glared angrily at the painting, now full with his shoe-prints all over, before hissing him quiet. Sir Cadogan meekly nodded as Sirius, grumbling, walked up the spiral stairway.

He stamped hardly at the stairs as his feet groaned at the pain. Sirius ignored them as he search the paintings for any secret passages. Suddenly, he felt himself falling. Down… down… down… all the way to the bottom. Caught by surprise, he gave a frighten yelp as he tried to grab hold of anything near him. I'd forgotten all about those stupid trick stairways. Why'd anyone build them for anyway? Stupid founders, Sirius grumbled under his breath as he landed, at last, nearby the Charms corridors, in front of a statue of a nymph.

'Wow,' Sirius said as he marveled at the nymph. It wasn't there before. Then again, statues moved around in Hogwarts, just like pictures, so Sirius couldn't see any reason why he should bother about it not being there before. Fumbling around for his wand, he tapped on it lightly. The nymph turn to him and smiled widely.

'Okay, open!

'Open Sesame – wait! That's from Aladdin, but it might work…

'Fine, aren't you telling me? Look, I don't have much time or Lily'll come rocketing down here. Smart of her, y'know, to ask me to suffer at the seventh floor. Heck, there's even some rumors that she might be a psychic! Then again, why'm I telling you this? Open up!

'Look – nymph, isn't it? – I'll give you some gold if you'd open up. Whaddya say? Five galleons?'

The semi-divine maiden shook her pretty head as she held out her fingers.

'WHAT? You want _TEN galleons?'_

She shook her head again as she made out the words from her mouth.

'K-N-U-T-S. Oh, you want ten knuts?'

She nodded.

'Fine, Lily will have to pay me back later…'

Sirius handed her ten knuts as she gave him a piece of paper. Sirius tapped on her again with his wand before calling '_Troupessium' at it. The nymph smiled and moved away, revealing a very dark passage._

'Hey, since you can move, how about telling me where you'd go to later?'

The statue made a few hand gestures.

'L-I-B-R-A-R-Y? I take it you'll be staying there forever? Madam Pince hated statues who moved too much in there.'

She nodded in agreement.

'Right. Where does this lead to anyway?'

Another hand gesture.

'F-O-R-E-S-T. The Forbidden Forest? Cool! Thanks nymph! You sure are a help!!'

Sirius kissed it as she blushed a little before walking towards the library.

**

James, meanwhile, was puzzling at the fourth floor, facing a painting. He had been given a quest, or shall I say, a riddle, to enter the secret passage. The buttercups refused to admit him without the answer.

'Uh, can I have it again?'

'Listen carefully. If it takes two young men ten days to dig up a garden, how many days will ten young men take to dig up the same garden?'

'You want to be dug? I can draw two men to dig up your roots…' James offered as he pulled out his quill to transfigure it into a brush.

'Perish the thought! Answer the quiz, and you shall enter the breeze!'

'Why would I enter the breeze?'

'The wonders of painting will always show, what is more worthy than all the gleaming gold!'

'Y'mean I'll enter this painting?'

The golden buttercups nodded.

'Let me see… is it multiplications? I'm no good at maths, maybe I should bring Lily here. She's good at them! Uh, five days?'

'Your answer is wrong, Potter!'

'Well, I don't think there's any garden left to dig, is there? I mean, the previous two had dug it already… argh! That'll be stupid… and don't call me Potter!! I have a name, you know!'

'Entrance admitted, young lad. Enjoy your visit to Hogsmeade.'

'Can you try not to speak in rhymes? I'm getting a terrible headache. And where did you say this leads? Hogsmeade?'

'That's right.'

'Yay! I'd a passage to Hogsmeade! Thanks! I'll be back pretty soon!'

**

Lily looked about for a mirror. Wow, I must be psychic, to be able to tell everything! Maybe I'm a Seer, like mom! Lily mused to herself as she walked down the corridors. Lily's mother was a Seer, and a very good one, too, as her mother had said in her last letter.

At last, finding the mirror, she whispered '_Elephant Entrances' before the mirror opened to reveal a secret room. Hey, I am a Seer! 'cept the password. Gram gave it to me, Lily grinned to herself as she looked around the room. It's big and needs refurnishing. Clouds upon clouds of dusts gathered everywhere. The carpet on the floor was pack with dust and the couches were covered in plastic, to prevent dust from reaching them. The mahogany table was placed in the middle of the room and paintings were hung all around._

'Well, now all I have to do is get this room ready for us to meet. _Leviosa clearus!' Lily called as she flicked her wand. Immediately, the room began tidying up for itself and Lily had to run for cover to avoid the flying dusts. When she climbed out from a conveniently placed cupboard, she was showered with broomsticks, quidditch balls (the Quaffle, Bludgers and Snitch), magic chalks and a few charts and diagrams. Arranging everything back into the box, she pushed it into the cupboard before surveying the room before her. The carpet, dust-free, is now highly polished. The couches were free of the plastics, the table has a pot of flowers on it and pot-plants were in a corner of the room, creating a mini garden next to a flowing miniature fountain. Bookshelves filled with thick, advanced books sat in one corner, and beds were set up in another. Pleased, Lily opened the mirror, changed the password, and ran off to find the rest._

She needn't to, for they came bounding to her as she was running halfway across the corridor.

'You owe me ten knuts Lily!'

'Stupid witch!'

'Some riddle…'

'That nymph asked for ten knuts and you owe me them!'

'She dropped her eye-stone on me!'

'I hate rhyming buttercups!'

'And you'll pay for making me fall!'

'My poor, poor foot…'

'Stupid answer, too.'

'Hey, I found mine. It isn't exactly a passage, but it'll do for a hideout. We can store anything we want in there! There's even this whole supply of Quidditch stuff!!'

They stopped at once as three eager heads turned to Lily. She lead them to the mirror, and after checking that no one's looking, she called out the new password: The Hogwarts Marauders. The mirror swung open, almost knocking Sirius in his eye, to reveal the entrance to the secret room. James, Sirius and Remus gasped at the room before them, eyeing everything.

'Wow. It'll be good to keep our things here. No one'll ever suspect us in any other tricks,' Remus snorted at this. Everyone knows that the Marauders were in almost every trick in Hogwarts.

'Lily can keep her Prank Trunk here,' James said, jumping excitedly as he inspected the little garden and moved on to the bookshelf.

'Right. No worry of Filch finding it when he looked about in the Summer Holidays. Speaking of them, it's almost time for exams,' Lily said as a frown creased on her brows.

'Hey, we'll pull through. Anyway, I found the passage. It's behind a rude, old hag of a one-eyed witch. The password's "Dissendium",' Remus said as they came out of the room, heading to the third floor where the witch stood. She glared at Remus angrily as James tapped her, saying Dissendium. Her hump opened and they climbed in, one at a time.

The passage, they found out, was cold and slimy. Lily found a slime in her pocket, when they climbed the what-seemed-to-be-five-hundred-steps before reaching a trapdoor. James, who was leading, pushed it open, only to find himself staring at boxes of sweets. He remembered what his father had told him about some passages. Most will lead to Hogsmeade, the wizard town. Trying to recall where this place might be, James climbed out as Lily came up, a disgusted look on her face as she threw the slime away. Remus and Sirius followed soon after.

'We're in Honeydukes!! Remus, you'd found a passage to Hogsmeade!' James cried happily as he patted his friend on his back, causing him to cough loudly. Afraid of being found, Sirius ushered everyone back into the trapdoor and left, just as the store room door opened. They journeyed back to Hogwarts, coming out of the witch's hump again.

Next, Sirius lead them to the library and introduced them to the nymph before calling the password to enter the passage. They lighted up their wands with Lumos as they staggered their way. The journey isn't far, and very soon, they appeared behind Hagrid's hut, very near to the Forbidden Forest. Finding themselves too tired to carry on to discover everything, they decided to return and check on James' findings.

James lead them to the buttercups, who annoyingly gave them another puzzle to figure out. As their puzzles being ridiculously ridiculous, Sirius had taken the honor to answer them. Another slimy passage, leading them to a sewer tunnel ('Eeew! I wonder what the founders were thinking when they made this!' Lily said), right in front of Zonko's Joke Shop. Taking the oppurtunity, the Marauders had filled their pockets with the latests: Drooling Drums, Creaking Croakroach Clusters, Lecturing Dolls and Jumping Jellies.

Having enough adventures for the day, they head back to the castle and keep the new tricks in their secret room, along with Lily's Prank Trunk and some sweets (Sirius grabbed them from Honeydukes). Then, they proceed to study for their exams in their dorms.

Nina, Pertsy, Sita and Tally weren't at all pleased with Lily when she came back. To tell the truth, the four had barely spoken two words to Lily and loathed her for playing all her tricks on them whenever she's bored. Nina smirked as she told the others loudly that the Marauders had dumped Lily out of their company. Pertsy, Sita and Tally looked happy at this, but Lily proved otherwise by throwing an extra dungbomb at them, wearing a mask over her face before doing so and went to sleep as they coughed at the smell and cursed her angrily. Tally waved her wand at Lily, but unfortunately, Lily had used her wand as an experiment and had accidentally used the confundus charm on Tally's cherry wood wand. The wand backfired, sending frogs and shellfishes everywhere as the other girls screeched loudly.

Lily calmly waved her wand and everything disappeared. Tally stared hard at her wand as Sita checked her bedsheet for spawns. Nina and Pertsy were in the corner when the shellfish tried to bite them and were crawling out now. Sita sat down to cry as she had a fear for frogs and the others comforted her. Stammering, they went up to Lily. Pertsy had decided to do the talking.

'Uh, thanks, for getting rid of everything.'

'Whatever.'

'Why wouldn't you speak to us?'

'Why wouldn't you?'

'Uh…'

'No reason, huh?'

'Guess so.'

'Lily, can you help me with my Charms? I mean, you and James were the best in our form and…'

'Sure Sita.'

'Umm… I'm sorta in trouble with Transfiguration…'

'And Defense Against Dark Arts…'

'And Astronomy…'

'Taking chances, aren't you?'

'…'

'Fine, I'll help.'

'Thanks.'

'Why would you help us? I mean, we'd been kinda mean to you, you'd been mean back. We're bossy, so did you to us and all. But you mixed with others well.'

Lily had sat up on her bed by now.

'Lots of questions, hadn't you? Well, the problem's you.'

'What me?'

'Yeah, what's with Nina?'

'No. I mean all of you. You just wouldn't want to try.'

'Sorry.'

'Whatever.'

'The exams are next week, tomorrow in fact, so please help us with the last minute tips!'

'I said fine, didn't I?'

'Oh. Yeah.'

'Let's see… Flitwick'll give us some really easy tests, nothing to worry about.'

Sita whined.

'McGonagall will probably ask you to transfigure a stove into a dog, so work on that Nina. You're bad.'

Nina looked horrified. She was the worst in Transfiguration in Gryffindor house.

'In DADA, I think Corn will give us a written test on Vampires or something like that.'

Pertsy nearly burst. Vampires weren't her favorite part in DADA. It frightened her to learn about them and always had nightmares after that memorial lesson about the blood-sucking creatures.

'About Astronomy, Sinistra'd probably send us to read the stars. Simple job.'

Tally looked relieved at this.

'Miss Evans! Have you been looking at our records?' McGonagall's angry voice screeched loudly as the tight faced teacher walked into the dorm.

'Minnie, I hadn't been near the staff room!'

'It's _Professor_, Evans. And which professor could prove that? Anyone?'

'Well, there's bound to be a professor in the staff's room, so ask that guy! I swear I didn't go near the staff room!'

'Come with me, Evans. You should have known better than that.'

'Hey, slow it Minnie! Look, you can ask the boys. I'd been with them all day!'

'Very well. I do not know how you had managed to get to know all the tests that are to be given tomorrow, but you had better be ready to receive a detention and fifty points off Gryffindor for telling a lie and for looking at the records,' McGonagall's severe face disppeared as her tip-tapping echoed to the opposite hallway. Her voice was heard again, 'POTTER, BLACK, LUPIN! HAD YOU BEEN SNEAKING INTO THE STAFF ROOM?' Lily could hear their answer. No. Of course, they had been with Lily almost the whole day, save the part when they look for the secret passages. Lily heard McGonagall storm down the steps, tripping over the trick stair and towards the staff room.

Tally, Sita, Nina and Pertsy looked at her in amazement.

'Come to think of it, how _did_ you know what our exams will be?' Tally asked Lily, who was settling back on her bed. 'Secret. But I didn't go sneaking into the staff room, so don't worry,' Lily said dismissively. Her psychic powers and her ability as a Seer had told her everything, but why let everyone know?

'Alright. I'll be studying for DADA now, if I were you. We're having hovering charms as our exam, Sita, so I suggest you practicing it now. And be ready for potions. Halley wants us to brew a Swelling Potion and a Shrinking one. Herbology will be about Roaching Roses and their uses and-'

The door burst open. Expecting it to be McGonagall, the four quickly opened their books and start reading them as three long shadows were casted over them instead of the expected one. Lily brightened up as they smirked at the other girls who looked at them, terrified. 'Hey guys! I was just telling them what we're having tomorrow!' Lily called as they sat themselves on Lily's bed. 'Unfair! You didn't tell us! By the way, Minnie came over a while ago about you being in the staff room,' Remus said as he looked out the window.

'Yeah. She thought I looked at the records for the exams, as I told these girls here what we're taking,' Lily said as she waved her hand to the four cowering girls. 'Hey, we're not gonna eat you okay? Maybe you should start treating Lily better. Heck, Dan and Thomas had even talked to us!' Sirius called out to them. 'Say, she even gave you the exams' subjects! You should be really thankful. Even we don't know about what will be coming out tomorrow!' James said.

'Thanks, big bro,' Lily said as she rolled her eyes at the boys. They'd always been over-protective over her, for she's the youngest of the four and she's the only girl. 'Good girl, now can you fill us with the details?' Remus said as Lily repeated what will come out the next day.

'Wow! Where'd you get those info?' Sirius asked, awed, when Lily had finished.

'Uh… sorry, but maybe I'd better keep it a secret. McGonagall can maybe ask Dumbledore to perform a spell on me to prevent me using it,' Lily said, fidgeting uncomfortably. 'Fine, whatever. But like we'd found out about Remus, we'll do the same to you. You're warned, Lily. G'night!' Sirius said seriously as they ran out of the room. McGonagall entered soon after they left.

'Evans? Sorry about just now, but Professor Sprout had been in the staff room the whole day, and saw no sign of you or Potter, Black or Lupin,' McGonagall came in. Tally, Nina, Sita and Pertsy heaved a sigh of relief, glad that they weren't receiving any detentions. Lily just shook it off and sent the elder woman out with a stink pellet on her tight bun, sending cries moments after the professor left the room. Lily grinned and went to bed as the remaining four girls tried to memorise everything about vampires and roaching roses. 

AN: there! I know this might be abit confusing, but hey! It's 4:30am now and I'm still typing here! Please review, so that I might know that at least someone's reading this J I know that you might be too lazy or maybe too busy, but please, try to make time for the reviewing! Thanks again, to those who did! You're nicer than those who didn't ;)


	11. Platform 9¾ Again

AN: Hurrah!! This is the last chapter (for year one, of course)! I don't know if you're eager or not, but I'm writing year two pretty soon. This chapter's short, so I hope you enjoyed it. I now present you the last chapter for The Marauding Five – Year One!! *stands up for claps. Received none, so sat down in a huff* oh well, I know I'll receive none anyway… review after this! J

_bunny chan_

Disclaimer: the last part to Year One, and since you'd read the previous ones, you'd probably know which is mine and which is not.

The Marauding Five : Year One

**Chapter 11: Platform 9¾ Again**

James was walking down the seventh floor corridor with Sirius, Remus and Lily as they turned to the mirror and entered their secret room that they had found two weeks before. Sweets were strewn everywhere and the broomsticks were doing some sort of a funny jig when they entered. Tired, Lily waved her wand without a word and everything cleaned itself up.

They flopped onto a bed each and stared at the ceiling.

'Lily?'

'Hmmm?'

'How are we suppose to-'

'Get rid of the girls? I'm thinking here…'

'They followed us almost everywhere.'

'So did Dan and Thomas.'

'Come to think of it, why?'

'Bet it's because they find us useful for giving them exam tips and homework helps.'

'You think everyone's like you, Sirius?'

'Yeah. Why not? I'm a human, so are you, so's everyone else.'

They sighed.

'Results?'

'Excelled. The professors sure are surprised! I mean, we kept on playing tricks and all…'

'And it's thanks to Lily we all excelled. Hey, how'd you know all those questions?'

'Short story.'

'We're all ears.'

'Just one sentence.'

'Eyes opened, brain checking for sleepiness. Report: None.'

'Only one word.'

'Say it already!'

'Psychic.'

'Aha! And…?'

'Seer.'

'Wow! You're lucky. Psychic and Seers are rare these days.'

'And if McGonagall finds out, I bet she'll drag me to Dumbledore and ask him to perform a spell on me so I can't use those powers any longer. I just learnt how to use them. Mother taught me.'

They sighed again.

'This conversation's pointless. How about holidays?'

Everyone started looking thoughtful.

'Speaking of them, don't you think we should leave a little goodbye present?' James said, grinning as he sat up on his bed.

'What do you mean?' Remus yawned as he started to snooze, tired out. The transformation the day before had definitely gotten him.

'You know, plant Dungbombs in the Slytherin common room, annoy that stupid cat, annoy Filch, send a total of ten howlers – each – to Snape on tomorrow's feast…' Lily ranted on and on about what they're going to do.

Suddenly, Sirius clapped his hands to his forehead.

'What? You got a flobberworm in your head?' James asked, concerned. 'No! I'd just recall the list Remus and I had done before coming to Hogwarts!! And yes, there are flobberworms in my head. How did they get there anyway?' Sirius said sarcastically.

Remus pondered this for a while. 'You know, you're insane, so there ought to be flobberworms in your head,' the boy replied thoughtfully. 'Prove that to me,' was Sirius' remark.

'Smart, aren't you? Well see, here's one. It's dead though, poor thing,' Lily whined pitiously at the dead flobberworm that she'd just pulled out of Sirius' long hair. 'Look! Here's another, Sirius! Really, there are flobberworms on your head!' James added in an amused tone before pulling out another dead flobberworm. 'May their souls rest peacefully, though I think not, looking at the fact that they died in Sirius' hair. Ugh, wouldn't want to die in there,' Remus added with a shiver. Sirius' face boiled furiously.

'Forget these worms. Now, where'd you put that list?' James said, tossing the flobberworms aside.

'Actually, um… Remus, you continue,' Sirius said, fidgeting uncomfortably on the bed. Remus took a small gulp. 'Uh, we'd sorta, uh…' James and Lily looked expectedly at them, nodding their heads, saying, 'Umhm, go on.' The other other gulped again. 'Forgotten all about it,' Sirius finished, his nerves shaking. They waited. They looked at James and Lily's face. Everything sunk into Lily and James and it dawned before them.

'You WHAT?!' Lily screeched in her high-pitched voice.

They nodded meekly.

'What actually did you _do in the holidays? Lily and I had been slaving for spells and information and you two were suppose to list down everything!' James cried out in distress._

They gulped again.

'Well, we sorta, uh, sleep?'

'You _SLEPT? Remus, I thought you could control Sirius! I don't expect you to go with him,' Lily continued with a frown._

'Yeah! Aw, forget this. You'll just pull all the pranks we'd devised last night and get our detentions,' James said as he dismissed the subject. Lily automatically looked calm as though she had never been angry before. 'Yep. Try not to lose any house points. Dumbledore's giving the house cup tomorrow,' Lily said with a nod as she thrust a list in Remus' hands and shower Sirius with the needed tools. The 'brains of the Marauders' walked out with a smug look on their faces, arm-in-arm, leaving Remus and Sirius to survey the list on their own and start the pranks.

'You know, they make a good looking couple together. They had the same personalities and the same smugness,' Sirius said, turning to Remus who's staring at the list.

'We've to give the Slytherins the nose-biting teacups for tomorrow's feast, add Filibuster's Fireworks in the Slytherins' turkeys, poison the Slytherins' pumpkin juices, give Severus an Engorgement Charm, make Severus' yellow teeth grow longer and destroy Severus' trunk. After that, we have to paint Mrs Norris blue, finish Filch off with water-balloons, send Dumbledore another pair of socks, paint Severus' robes with the invisible paint, decorate the Great Hall with scarlet and gold ribbons, charm the Hufflepuffs' food all into Croakroach Clusters… the list is endless!' Remus heaved some air heavily. Sirius had started sorting out the showered tools and jokes and was already heading to the kitchens to poison the Slytherins' food and pumpkin juice. Water balloons were held in his hand, ready to be thrown at Filch and he is already practising the charm to turn Mrs Norris blue.

Remus groaned. This is going to be one busy day.

**

The next day, the Hufflepuffs were clutching at their throats after eating Croakroach Clusters, planted by Sirius the day before. The Slytherins all had red noses, Mrs Norris was an aqua-marine blue shade and Filch was greeted with water balloons as soon as he stepped out of his dorm. It seemed to be a terrible day for them, but to Snape, it was the worst day ever. Fourty Howlers had found its way to him and he had to open all, all containing nasty remarks and dangerous hexes, his yellow teeth grew longer until it hit the floor. Madam Pomfrey wasn't pleased about tending students on the last day, so she left him that way until a seventh year Slytherin had taken to cure him himself, earning Snape a milicentimeter left of what were his teeth. Lily had used Diffindo and Snape's trunk burst open, scattering his underwear (all spotted with hearts and dabbed with "I Love My Teddy and Mommy", courtesy of James). Remus painted all of Snape's robes with the invisible paint, sending laughters all over. A pair of socks found its way to Dumbledore and the wizard looked happily for the sender, wishing to thank him. Snape got the full blast of the Engorgement Charm on his face, making his already big nose bigger than ever.

All but the Slytherins laughed at this.

Finally, it was time to announce the winner of the House-Cup. Lily sat rooted on her seat, fidgeting nervously. She could feel Sirius jumping non-stop (a way to show his anxiety), Remus biting on his nails nervously and James shaking. 'Ssh!! I want to hear! Sirius, stop hopping around! I'll give you the leaping frog hex if you don't!' Lily hissed at Sirius, who was still jumping. 'I can't! You know how I am whenever I'm nervous,' Sirius said, still jumping frantically.

Dumbledore sat up as he announced the points.

'As usual, the house cup will go to the house with the most points. I shan't beat around the bush much longer. Fourth place goes to Hufflepuff, with a total of five hundred and sixty two points. Third's Slytherin, with a total of five hundred and sixty seven points – close call there – and Ravenclaw, with seven hundred and fourty five points, and the winner, Gryffindor with seven hundred and eighty eight points.'

The Gryffindor table cheered and roared. For the first time in so many years, they'd won the House Cup for Gryffindor, sending Slytherin from it's glorious first place to the third.

The Marauders hugged each other happily, glad to have won the house cup, as Snape stared coldly at them from his beady eyes full with loathing. Sirius and James, being too excited, had sent Snape off with the very same spell Lily had used on her first Howler to him. So when Snape walked up to Gryffindor table to sneer at them and tell them that Slytherin's reign isn't over yet, he burped slugs out, sending another roar to the school as they remembered the faithful first day when Severus Snape received his howlers.

Angry, Snape stormed out as calls came after him from the Gryffindor seventh years.

At last, it was time to leave. The Marauders sadly pulled their trunks into Hogwarts Express, taking their last glance at Hogwarts castle before the train pulled away.

'Well, end of a year at Hogwarts. I wonder what are we going to do now,' James said gloomily, staring sadly at the scenery outside. Lily patted his back lightly.

'C'mon James, don't be too sad. Remember, we still have a victim at home!'

'Yeah, I just remembered Petunia! Thanks Lil'! Now we can hex her as much as we want to and did you bring extra fireworks or Dungbombs or any of the tricks?' Sirius asked happily. Remus patted his pockets fondly. 'Sirius, I'd all of them! I sneaked some from Filch's office. He'd sorta confiscated them from other students, but I got them all back,' Remus grinned happily. 'Now, how about plans for Petunia?' James said, brightened up.

'Remus'll do it. If we leave anything with Sirius, you can bet that he'll pull Remus to snooze again,' Lily said as she dragged her trunk into Platform 9¾ when the train halted to a stop.

Sirius shrugged as he, James and Remus pulled their things outside. The four crossed the barrier calmly.

Mr and Mrs Potter and Mr and Mrs Evans were standing at the other side, waiting to greet them. Mrs Evans hugged Lily tightly as she proceeded to embrace the rest of them. Lily winked at Mrs Potter, indicating that all their tricks were successful as the Potters and Evans climbed into the Evans' car. The kids rattled cheerfully about their year events, tricks pulled, exams results and every detention they'd got. The Evans frowned slightly when they heard that their daughter had been to the Forbidden Forest, but relaxed when they hear that pixies, fairies and unicorns had helped them. They offered to throw a party, when they heard all four had excelled in their subjects without a problem, and that was taken in happily by the Potters, who were also glad that every prank pulled were successful.

The Marauders just grinned at them. 

AN: Congratulations for making all the way to the last chapter of Year One! I'll just chuck in everything I wanna say here. Firstly, I don't write romance straight like saying "I Love You" straight away without even realizing it. I like some turning in a few corners, so I have another six more parts to work at here J sure, I do have my other unknown self hidden in me (so far, you'd seen the egoistic one and the cheeky one), but I don't think I've ever had one that is _too_ straight. Secondly, I hope you enjoy the first year of my series. Thirdly, I'm not posting for a while. I need a short rest (I'm lack of sleep lately – blame my brother) and I'm going to enjoy a visit at my cousin's (like I ever will). My cousin wouldn't lemme use the computer, let alone near it, so there's no hope in writing (my family doesn't know I do – ssh!). Lastly, uh, I don't think there's any… Anyways, I shan't bore you with my Author's Note anymore. Review, please? Thanks for reading this last chapter of year one ^_^


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